About Us

Our Mission

The mission of MLC is to provide an empowering life experience in a stable, safe, and secure living and learning environment, for homeless or transitioning youth. MLC is a permanent housing facility that aims to successfully transition homeless and aged-out youth – ages 16-21 years old – into independent living within 12-18 months.

Benjamin Dumas

Program Director

402–705–4663

programdirector@marylandlivingcenter.org

Mark Jensen

Case Manager

402–705 –4649

casemanager@marylandlivingcenter.org

Maria Jarris

Resident Director

402-705-4802

What Our Residents Say

"The staff are very sensitive to the problems and situations that the youth are/have been faced with and listen with a desire to help us overcome them. They help us come up with a plan and steps that we need to take to handle the situation."
"Being a part of MLC is who I am today, and that is something I can be proud of myself for."
"Without MLC I'm not sure where I would be. The streets? Maybe. But they saved me from finding out."

How e Started

The Maryland Living Center is a partnership between CASA of South Central Nebraska and the Housing Development Corporation. The idea for the program came from seeing how many youth aged out of the foster care system and ended up homeless because they had nowhere else to go. This idea expanded and the Maryland Living Center was developed in order to help combat and issues of youth homelessness in the community. MLC served its first residents in April of 2013.

The Maryland Living Center provides 13 apartments in a co-ed housing facility, designed to meet the various needs of its residents. The Maryland Living Center uses positive youth development to advocate for each youth and their individual needs. Staff assists youth in developing goals for their future based on their individual and innate strengths.

The program also takes a trauma informed approach towards all youth who enter into the program, understanding that all youth come from a wide variety of diverse backgrounds and experiences.

See Where We Are Now