‘I love it here’
Zoey has guests coming to her house, so she is baking cookies.
Zoey is a client at RHD Nebraska in Omaha, which provides residential supports to individuals with developmental disabilities. Zoey is 14 years old and lives in her own home, with a roommate, supported by RHD staff.
“I love it here,” Zoey said. “My staff are so nice.”
After serving oatmeal cookies to her guests, Zoey gets her fingernails painted by RHD direct service professional Jessie Taylor and readies for a day in the community. On a perfect afternoon in Omaha, she’s going swimming.
“In the five years before Zoey came to RHD, she was never a happy kid,” said Zoey’s mother, Linda. “She had sad eyes. She cried a lot. Since she got settled in with RHD, I’m amazed at the transformation. She’s happy. She laughs all the time. She participates in things in the community.
“Zoey has a twinkle in her eye again. She is such a loving and spontaneous child, but she’s gone through an awful lot in her life. RHD has done such a fantastic job with her — when we first started talking about a group home, I just thought, oh, no, no, no. But the staff there is fantastic; she thinks being with them is the coolest thing. It’s been phenomenal. She loves being there.”
RHD Nebraska
RHD Nebraska provides essential residential and day supports to individuals with developmental disabilities, with an emphasis on education, life skills and creative opportunities for growth and personal expression. RHD Nebraska specializes in providing trauma-informed, person-centered services to assist individuals in facilitating a meaningful and successful life in their communities.