Kansas Independence

DeAndre experienced years of neglect and truancy that made it difficult to flourish in school. Eventually, he was taken into foster care custody and began to make progress at an Omaha high school; but he still fell short of graduating. 

  

 

 

When Martinez met DeAndre, the youth was living an incredibly unstable life with no job, diploma, and little hope moving forward. But Martinez realized that DeAndre’s story didn’t have to end there. Not only did Martinez like the soft-spoken youth, he felt something more: an obligation to ensure DeAndre’s success. 

Upon being asked to leave his mother’s home, Martinez asked DeAndre to move in with his family. In this new home, DeAndre was able to recover his lost birth certificate, Social Security card, and state ID card. Also, in discovering that DeAndre was only 80 hours of community service shy of a high school diploma, Martinez went to work on that as well. He helped the youth find a suitable volunteer job opportunity, made sure he woke up on time each morning, and transported DeAndre to and from the job. Upon completion of the community service requirement, DeAndre took part in the school’s commencement ceremony.

Martinez had the desire to help DeAndre because the youth’s story was so similar to his own. During high school his mother had sent him to Omaha to live with relatives. While Martinez recognizes that his young life was not as difficult as DeAndre’s, he still remembers the loneliness and the absence of love that he felt. He too had been brought into the home of his high school girlfriend and credits that acceptance and support for his own success. Through the support and structure of the Martinez family, DeAndre has begun to plan his future. He is considering enlisting in the U.S. Air Force.  

DeAndre said that he never considered anyone in his life to be like a father. Even when he lived with one family for several years, he reports he always called his foster father by his first name. But if you ask him what he calls Martinez, DeAndre says, “Pops.”

LINK: http://www.omaha.com/article/20100601/NEWS01/706019960