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Meet Najamo Abukar

by | Feb 8, 2023 | Our Stories

Meet Najmo Abukar

Resident Najmo Abukar is a shining star participating in Oakridge Neighborhood’s youth programming. But before joining in Oakridge’s afterschool program full-time in 2018, Najmo was quiet and introverted. Her younger brothers were active participants in the youth programming, but she would not consistently join in. Some arm twisting by friends, a staff member who was also her middle school science teacher, and the very persistent Oakridge youth department lead Vernon Johnson convinced Najmo to become involved and commit to regularly participating.

Now, Najmo, the oldest of five children who came from Africa when she was an infant, demonstrates confidence, leadership and discipline in all aspects of her life. She is driven, ambitious and motivated. She earns nearly all A’s at Roosevelt High School. She works over 30 hours a week as a cashier at Walmart to save for a car and to assist her mother with household expenses; with her first paycheck, she bought her brother a phone. She is also a tremendous help to the Oakridge staff, assisting with high school tutoring sessions. She has joined several educational groups to help bolster her college resume (“College is a must,” she says), including the 4-H Urban Youth Leadership Academy and Investing in My Future.

She was also selected for the Oakridge Summer Youth Employment Program. She aspires to be a nurse, doctor or surgeon, so her summer employment experience last year placed her at UnityPoint, just across the street from Oakridge Neighborhood. “I want a career where I can make a change in the world, where I can help spread hope,” she says.

With young people like Najmo poised to lead the way, we all should, indeed, have hope in the future.

Taking Their Shot

by | Dec 2, 2022 | OakridgeStrong, Our Stories

Taking Their Shot: Pair Takes Aim on Home Court

Oakridge Neighborhood resident Peter Ngo was drawn to my attention by the managing editor of an area television station. He’d received a call from Peter, saying the station only covered news from Oakridge Neighborhood when something negative happened. He wanted the newsman to know there were all kinds of great things going on here all the time, like the basketball workshops he had recently launched that numerous Oakridge youth were all about.

The editor was intrigued. So was I. So, one day this summer I made my way to Peter’s apartment, where he lives with his dad, mom and five younger siblings, to get the lowdown. I was welcomed by 22-year-old Peter, and explained why I was there. He was gracious, kind, welcoming…and tall. He looked like a guy who might know a thing or two about basketball.

Since that first meeting Peter’s goal of developing an ongoing basketball clinic for area youth has started to blossom. What began as outdoor practice with a handful of youth on the basketball court at Oakridge this summer has evolved. Today nearly 60 students are practicing at various times throughout the week, some Mondays and Tuesdays after school at Edmunds Elementary School, some Saturdays and Sundays for more extended sessions just down the street at the gym at First Methodist Church.

Keeping Peter motivated is his righthand man and best friend since grade school, Mamoud Bayoh. Mamoud exudes positivity and encouragement. The pair met over basketball all those years ago, and today are partners working to evolve their current initiative into a sustainable program, a traveling league for area youth. It’s a model that has a unique twist: students come to basketball practice AND can get a free haircut, all in one, thanks to the barbering skills Mamoud brings to the table.

Hoops and Hopes

Peter was born in a refugee camp in Ethiopia. The Ngos moved to the United States in 2005, joining family that was living at Oakridge. Peter did not know English, so was bullied at school in those early years. He says it taught him how to stand up for himself at a young age.

Peter and Mamoud crossed paths one summer attending a church camp, around 5th grade. They started playing basketball every day. Mamoud had already been introduced to basketball fundamentals through league play, but Peter was new to the sport and his style of play was “more street ball,” laughs Mamoud. Peter recognized that his buddy was besting him by consistently making some pretty complicated shots, which frustrated him. He started asking Mamound for advice, and Mamoud in turn began to teach Peter basketball fundamentals.

The pair played with Kingdom Hoops in junior high then joined the basketball team at North High School. Junior year, Peter transferred to Roosevelt High School, and Mamoud quit basketball after the death of his father. His artistic bent led him to ultimately go into barbering – complete with house calls!

In the meantime, Peter started his basketball career at Roosevelt with all kinds of bad attitude, he says, due to the rough start he had growing up. But sometime that junior season, he had an epiphany that if he didn’t change, he wasn’t going to get anywhere. “So I focused on my grades and I focused on my school life,” he says.

The change in Peter didn’t go unnoticed; many people told him how inspirational his pivot was from being “one of the baddest kids in school with attitude to one of the humblest kids.” His game also improved. “I always had work ethic,” he says. “When I started out everyone was better than me. But I surpassed their expectations. My mother always told me with hard work you can go anywhere; she ingrained that in me.”

Peter was awarded a basketball scholarship to Mount Mercy University, but when the pandemic hit, remote learning wasn’t for him, and he decided to return to Des Moines. Today he is employed at Amazon, while working to launch his youth basketball organization with input from his pastor and others who’ve initiated similar efforts. 

Basketball for 'a Better Future, a Better Chance'

The impetus for the new venture? Peter’s siblings.

“I need to help them find a better future, a better chance,” he says. “If you can enlighten a kid they can go far in life. Basketball can have a huge impact.”

Academics is an important component of the dialogue with the students, too. “We have them write essays,” Peter says. “And if they don’t do their essay, they don’t get to join practice.” Pretty motivating for a team of kids that asks for more practice, when practice is over. “We know we are doing something right when the kids are having fun and want to keep doing it,” Peter says.

This fall, girls and boys in grades 3-8 learned basketball fundamentals and are now participating in area tournaments. Peter and Mamoud hope that if they can raise enough money, the students will be able to participate in a competitive traveling league. Ultimately the duo aspires the have their own practice facility, and to provide a source of income for their efforts.

But in the short term, they are more concerned with the basics, like providing the kids with basketball shoes, backpacks for their gear, cones, shot clocks and the like. So far the parents of the players have really pulled together to try to help provide, Peter says.

For more information, check out some practices on YouTube at @brickzlegends8600

Mamoud’s barbering skills can be seen on Instagram at @kmb_hussle

Oakridge Neighborhood: Serving Our Refugee and Immigrant Neighbors

by | Apr 14, 2022 | OakridgeStrong, Our Stories, Programs & Services

Oakridge Neighborhood: Serving Our Refugee & Immigrant Neighbors

Over 70 percent of Oakridge Neighborhood’s residents are refugees and immigrants, a community of people gaining stability while preparing for the next step in their life’s journey. We are uniquely suited to providing our neighbors not only quality housing but also supportive programs, essential services that help them succeed and become economically independent in their quest to enjoy a secure and happy life.

Learn more here.

James Turner: Oakridge Neighborhood was “Family”

by | Mar 18, 2022 | OakridgeStrong, Our Stories, Programs & Services

James Turner: Oakridge Neighborhood was "Family"

James Turner recalls a story from his childhood at Oakridge Neighborhood.

“I was on a bike and I tried to jump a dumpster. I cracked my head. Neighbors I didn’t know took me to the hospital. It was like that…a strong, positive community and safe. Everyone stuck together.”

Turner came to Oakridge Neighborhood as a child with a single mother. It was tough, he says, but now a grandfather, he looks back fondly on his years here.

“There was a sense of family right away. Sister Margaret Toomey embraced us. It felt good to be there.

“My mom worked hard. We were at Oakridge six or seven years and were able to move out, but she didn’t want to leave the support and what felt like family. It was a great place to start, to bring your family and build it up.

Turner went to North High School, where he excelled in athletics. “I gained a lot of confidence growing up in Oakridge because I saw a lot of tough times but people believed in me.”

Now Turner is in the position to pass along confidence and belief in others, not only as a father who worked to teach his own children to be “respectful and honest” but also through his career with Des Moines Public Schools, where he’s served for over 20 years. As an associate at Weeks Middle School, “I really like communicating with kids and giving them guidance and positive advice.”

He is undoubtedly making an impact on numerous students, in the same way Oakridge Neighborhood changed his life. “Oakridge impacted my life tremendously…the commitment people had to us meant the world to us. I will never forget.”

Hear more from James here.

Oakridge Neighborhood is home for nearly 1,000 residents, with over half of those being under 18 years old. To help make a difference, donate here or please contact Kristin Littlejohn, [email protected] or 515 | 244-7701. 

 

Mike Hill: The Mayor of Oakridge Neighborhood

by | Jun 2, 2021 | OakridgeStrong, Our Stories, Programs & Services

Mike Hill: The Mayor of Oakridge Neighborhood

Mike Hill is known as “The Mayor of Oakridge.” It’s no wonder.

The long-time facility director at Oakridge can regularly be seen being stopped by residents to chat – about their home, the weather, or goings on in the neighborhood. People look to Mike, and he’s there for them.

“I feel real good about the place,” Mike says with pride. “I’ve spent 2/3 of my life there. I have a sense of respect for the place.”

“I look at ways I can help,” he says. “I feel good when I come in and can help touch lives of the kids and adults by providing maintenance, answering questions, talking with them.”

Like so many of those that work at Oakridge Neighborhood, Mike’s position has become more than just employment. It’s a way of life and a service to others that has become part of the fabric of Mike’s life.

A Long-Term Relationship

His relationship with Oakridge started even before Mike was old enough to have a job.

“I had family members who lived there,” Mike remembers. “It was a nice place to go, to hang out at the basketball courts. It still is.”

Mike began working at Oakridge 40 years ago, starting as a groundskeeper. Today Mike is responsible for maintaining the quality living conditions of Oakridge’s 300 Section 8 housing units, plus 30 senior living apartments at Silver Oaks.

“When I first started Oakridge was a little rough around the edges,” he says, remembering a period in the 1980s when Oakridge struggled with gang and drug activity. “The property was a work in progress, maintained but not where it should have been.

“Margaret Toomey, who was a nun, was the head of it,” Mike says. “Her interest was children and their living conditions and what to do to keep the property up. She had a vision still relevant today.”

That vision included beginning to introduce some of the many wrap-around services that today distinguish Oakridge from similar housing neighborhoods across the United States. That has expanded into a robust portfolio of human service programming, including adult workforce readiness/development, family case management, financial literacy, ELL and citizenship classes, early child hood and preschool, student enrichment for children grades K-8, plus summer employment programming for 14 to 21-year-olds.

“We’ve advanced in what we have to offer,” Mike says. “We’re more than just housing, so kids can envision more for their future than they used to.”

Giving Thanks

As a result, Mike says many Oakridge residents are parents who go to work or school, thanks in part to the on-site childcare provided right on the Oakridge campus.

When they advance and make progress in life they always come back and say thank you to people that helped them,” Mike says. “Oakridge gives them a sense of hope; we give them the opportunity to know they can move on that will help them through their journey in life.

” A lot of young men and ladies looked up to the maintenance crew as father figures,” Mike says. “Many come back and thank the crew. A lot of them did really good. They got degrees and became providers for families.

“Lives change because Oakridge offers so many programs, ownership, pride,” he says. “We’re a safe, clean, loving neighborhood. Come and see us, check out our programs, talk with our residents and staff. This is a really nice place.”

Hear more from Mike here.

Employees like Mike help make Oakridge Neighborhood home for 1,000 residents, with over half of those being under 18 years old. To help make a difference, donate here or please contact Kristin Littlejohn, [email protected] or 515 | 244-7701. 

Amran’s Journey: From Somalia to Oakridge

by | Apr 2, 2021 | OakridgeStrong, Our Stories, Programs & Services

Amran's Journey: From Somalia to Oakridge Neighborhood

Amran Farah’s journey from arriving in the United States 12 years ago to earning a scholarship at a prestigious university exemplifies the power of Oakridge Neighborhood in helping families gain stability while preparing for the next steps in life.

Amran was just seven years old when she fled war-torn Somalia with her parents and seven siblings. “I remember a lot about Somalia, things kids shouldn’t see,” she says.

When Amran’s family first arrived in Iowa, it was snowing and they didn’t have coats. People in Iowa didn’t look like her family. Grocery stores were an entirely new concept to the family, who’d been used to shopping in open-air markets. And only Amran’s dad knew English. “Then I started elementary it was really hard to fit in,” she says. “But I was able to learn the language pretty quickly.”

Today Amran is an incredibly accomplished young woman, who carries herself with a confidence that reflects a worldliness that surpasses her age. She has been tapped more than once to speak about her experiences with Oakridge to large groups, including community influentials and donors to the organization, and does so with ease. At the same time, she’s also very much a typical all American girl with the requisite mannerisms.

Life Changing Impact

Amran says the people at Oakridge Neighborhood, where the family settled upon arriving in the United States, were especially welcoming. For over 50 years, Oakridge Neighborhood has provided a secure, safe and affordable place for some of the city’s most vulnerable to live, plus support services to help adults and families move to sustained self-sufficiency. “What you need they will provide,” Amran says.

“I joined the youth program at Oakridge when I was 13 and it was a blessing,” Amran says. “They encouraged me to join in. They helped me believe in myself and be more confident.”

Amran has also been a part of the Youth Summer Employment Program (YSEP), a 10-week paid worksite learning and career exploration program for low-income students ages 14-21. As part of the program, Amran was selected to be a student teacher at Oakridge’s Project OASIS summer and after school program serving children in grades K-5. The experience convinced Amran that she would like to become a special education or grade school teacher. “I really love working with kids,” she says. “I’m very interested in the mind and how kids think. Seeing their growth just amazes me.”

A Natural Leader

To watch Amran leading a classroom of students, one can see that being an educator would suit her. She confidentially controls the hub of activity in a spirited room of nearly 20 students – all who clearly look up to her – leading them seamlessly through hands-on learning exercises and projects.

Amran excelled at academics at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, and earned a scholarship to Drake University, where she felt she could get the best education and still live at home. She started her freshman year in Fall 2019.

“Oakridge is a huge part of my life. Not only have they helped me with my career choice, but they have also helped my parents with whatever they needed. They help you with many aspects of your life such as emotional, financial, social and so much more,” she says. “Anyone who has been a part of Oakridge knows the impact they make on the lives of others. I can say this because I know the impact Oakridge has made on me.

“As I move toward my purpose of becoming a teacher, I’ve learned not to compromise who I am,” she says. “When things aren’t going right, I go to individuals in the youth department who tell me to dig deeper and never forget…I am destined for greatness.”

We couldn’t agree more.

Hear more from Amran here.

Oakridge Neighborhood positively impacts the lives of hundreds of students and immigrant families every year. To make a difference in the life of a student like Amran, donate here or please contact Kristin Littlejohn at [email protected] or 515 | 244-7701.