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Henry's Story


November is Homelessness Awareness Month, and there’s never been a more urgent time to help our community become more aware of the issues surrounding homelessness. Nationally, homelessness is at an all-time high, but here in the Council Bluffs/Omaha Metro, New Visions is working hard to offer innovative solutions and strengthened community partnerships to provide a pathway out of homelessness for those we serve.


One example of a person who is defying the odds with the help of our services is our friend, Henry. Henry grew up around Council Bluffs and Omaha, but never spent enough time in one place to identify a “home.” Henry’s mom dealt with a drug addiction and his dad wasn’t present, leading to a childhood spent in and out of foster care. Henry graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and spent time in the Army, but his lack of a stable home led him to get involved with gangs and eventually landed him in jail.


Thanksgiving night of 2022, Henry was attacked in his sleep in the place where he was staying, another “home” that failed him. This led to more time in jail, and upon his release, the police brought him to New Visions Homeless Services because they believed it was the safest place for him to stay. Immediately after arriving at New Visions, Henry connected with caseworkers who began to help him piece his life back together. Henry helped out wherever he could around the shelter and even began his journey towards an associate’s degree through Iowa Western. In 2023, Henry received a Christmas gift from an Omaha Police Officer who “adopted” Henry through our Holiday program. “After being arrested and spending time in jail,” says Henry, “I never imagined I’d be getting a Christmas gift from a police officer.” It took living in a homeless shelter for Henry to finally find a place to call “home.”


In the winter of 2024, Henry became an AmeriCorps Member, both living and serving at New Visions. Henry’s service included helping with food security, street outreach, disaster relief, and even our on-site garden. Henry is now serving in his second AmeriCorps term with us and will provide resource navigation and mentoring to individuals on the streets, in our shelter, and at our Winter Warming Center. “I feel like I’m spending so much of my time doing positive things that it maybe erases the bad things I’ve done in my life,” says Henry. “I get to re-write my history.”


Re-writing histories is what we’re all about at New Visions, and we’re proud that we get to be a part of Henry’s re-written story. With the strong support of the New Visions staff and Henry’s own drive to succeed, Henry went from the streets into shelter, and eventually from homeless into a home. After months of hard work, Henry attained his own apartment in the summer of 2024. Some of the things he’s enjoying now include cooking for himself, watching movies (he’s famous around New Visions for loving The Notebook!), and even getting to decorate his own space. And while Henry will always be grateful that New Visions provided a home when he needed one, he’s grateful to now have one of his own.

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Providing help, hope, and opportunity for those experiencing hunger and

homelessness in the Council Bluffs and Omaha communities.

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Omaha Veteran's
Campus

1425 N. 18th St.

Omaha, NE 68102

(402) 505-3523

Council Bluffs
Campus

1435 N. 15th St.

Council Bluffs, IA 51501

(712) 256-3940

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This program is made possible in part by funding from the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which is dedicated to ensuring that
our nation's veterans, service members, and their families - those who stood for us - have stable and successful futures.

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