Who We Are

With the ministry since: 2005

What brought you to Release Ministries? Became a volunteer after my daughter and son-in-law started doing Bible study in the Douglas County Youth Center with Release.

Best part of your service to at-risk youth: Seeing God change my heart to be me more like His as I seek to love His kids

With the ministry since: 2010

What brought you to Release Ministries? God’s direction and my heart to serve Him wherever He leads me to serve.

Best part of your service to at-risk youth: While I don’t work with at-risk youth directly, I do support those that do. It has been a joy to meet others on staff, hear their testimonies, and get to know each one individually. I look forward to seeing how God will change and use me as a result of my connection with Release Ministries.

With the ministry since: 2009

What brought you to Release Ministries? The grace and mercy of the Living God. I was born and raised in north Omaha and have experienced some of the same things as the young people with whom we work at DCYC. Relationships with the kids have allowed room for me to introduce Jesus Christ.

Best part of your service to at-risk youth: Building relationships with young people without expectation, but accountability to do better.

With the ministry since: 1999

What brought you to Release Ministries? I taught and coached at-risk youth at inner city alternative high school where God gave me a heart for these kids. The Lord put me in touch with Bill Ellett, our hearts were knit and Release brought me on board to develop and direct the Mentoring Ministry.

Best part of your service to at-risk youth: Knowing that the seeds we plant and water will be used by God to change hearts and lives, bringing Him pleasure as the kingdom is increased

With the ministry since: Volunteered 2007-2009. Brought on staff 2009-current.

What brought you to Release Ministries? I was released from jail in 2006. I gave my life to the Lord while in  jail and heard a mentoring presentation in early 2007 that instantly broke my heart for youth and families in our community. I responded to the call without hesitation and have been on that journey since. 

Best part of your service to at-risk youth: I take the opportunity and responsibility of being the salt and light to a family I come in contact with seriously. We live in a community that is plagued with brokenness and social ills that are hurting the design of family and distorting youths life's. Coming from a lifestyle and experience of brokenness like the youth we serve, I have a passion and desire to be all I can be while I am present in their life. 

With the ministry since: 2002

What brought you to Release Ministries? I have always enjoyed youth ministry but I never set out to work with at-risk youth. I was just a college student attempting to follow Christ. I began as a bible study leader and mentor at DCYC. After two years, my wife and I had the opportunity to become house parents at the first Release home. Five years later I was offered the opportunity to oversee the houses. There is something about the youth we work with that keeps drawing me to them.

Best part of your service to at-risk youth: I love building authentic relationships. Relationship is a core value that permeates every level of our organization. The genuine relationships that we offer to the youth are something we experience every day as staff.

Bio coming soon

With the ministry since: 2009

What brought you to Release Ministries? My husband and I felt called to work in a group home setting with teenage youth from 2009-2013. Through that experience we learned to love the guys unconditionally, to provide a family environment where the guys felt accepted for who they were versus who they were on paper, to provide structure and routine, and to provide them skills to become independent when they aged out of the system.  From 2013 to present, I have been a Community Intervention Specialist. January 2017, I also became the Parenting Time Supervisor, where I oversee a team of Parenting Time Specialists who provide supervised visitation for parents and their children who have been separated due to neglect and abuse.

Best part of your service to at-risk youth: The best part of serving the youth and families all these years is to know how we, Release Ministries, have had a positive, direct impact on the families and the community and that the youth and families know we genuinely care about their well-being. 

With the ministry since: 2017

Best part of your service to at-risk youth: We get to love our community in action not just words. We get to be hands and feet of Jesus to the at risk youth, families in dire need of support as they go through a crises of some sort. We can impact and influence generations to come. 

With the Ministry Since: 2018

What brought you to Release Ministries? I was working closely with Release Ministries at my previous job with Nebraska Families Collaborative. I got to know many different people, and I could see their heart and love for the youth they were serving. I worked on a project involving foster care for graduate school, and I knew that someday I wanted to work in foster care and am excited that God is allowing me to do this with Release Ministries.

Best part of your service to at-risk youth: I love getting to know these youth - there is so much more to them than what is in their paper file. Teens have so many gifts they give me when I work with them - and they keep me in tune with the world! So many of them just need a friend, an advocate and a mentor to help them navigate this time in their life. I appreciate that Release sees their value as being created and loved by God.