O'Connell Children's Shelter

08/27/2026

Behind every success story is a community that cares.

Volunteers play an important role in helping O'Connell Children's Shelter support children, youth, and families throughout the year.

Whether you're interested in mentoring youth, assisting with events, supporting fundraising efforts, helping with administrative projects, sharing a special skill, or participating in community outreach, your time can make a meaningful difference.

We're grateful for the individuals who choose to invest their time, talents, and compassion in the lives of others.

As a new school year begins, consider joining a community of volunteers dedicated to creating brighter futures for local youth and families.

Learn more about volunteer opportunities or sign up at oconnellchildrensshelter.org.

08/22/2026

Billy is celebrating his one-year work anniversary with us today! As an overnight teaching assistant in our YRCII program, Billy really enjoys his shift and loves working with O'Connell youth (really all youth). With a work history of substitute teaching and providing personal and commercial security services, Billy is well-known to help the house stay orderly and on-track with all of the rules. And in his down time, he enjoys studying Eastern Philosophy and practicing meditation. Congratulations Billy, O'Connell is grateful to have you on our team!

08/19/2026

Reminder! Pledge forms for the 40th Annual Festival of Trees are due by September 8th! Reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions. Please check out the donation guidelines and fill out the pledge form today:
https://oconnellchildrensshelter.org/festival.../decorate/

08/12/2026

Jesse, a house manager at O’Connell, celebrates one year with the agency today. Jesse’s passion for helping at-risk teens—especially those with histories in the juvenile justice system—has made his current group home position his most rewarding yet. Jesse thrives on connecting with kids who others might shy away from, always striving to peel back the layers and understand the "why" behind their actions rather than just the "what." He believes that supporting growth means giving space, setting examples, and patiently talking youth through their struggles. Known for his collaborative approach, he values input from his teammates in decision-making, always keeping the big picture and the well-being of the kids at the center of his work. Outside of work, Jesse is devoted to family. He cherishes time spent with his siblings and their kids—whether he's sharing meals, catching up over TV, or relaxing on the patio. Congratulations on your one-year work anniversary, Jesse! We appreciate everything you do!

08/12/2026

Chaneton is celebrating her second work anniversary with us today (this time around)! As the case services supervisor, Chaneton arranges placements in our residential program, both emergency and long-term. She works closely with our house managers and case coordinators to ensure the needs of our youth are being fully met. Her favorite thing about working with the youth is making sure they feel special on their birthdays. She knows a lot of our youth may not get a family phone call so she reminds staff and other youth to make sure that young person feels special on their big day. Chaneton previously worked for the Children's Shelter for many years and has been instrumental in shaping our agency's youth-focused culture. She definitely wants everyone to know that the young people are watching so you always need to treat everyone with kindness and respect. Congratulations and thank you for everything you do, Chaneton!

08/11/2026

It's that time of year again! Festival of Trees is a little over 3 months away. We are so excited to be celebrating the 40th year of Festival this year. We, of course, always welcome new participants, but we'd love to have as many long-time donors or returning donors participating as possible. Please check out the donation guidelines on our website: https://oconnellchildrensshelter.org/festival-of-trees/decorate/ and then fill out the pledge form by September 8th. Reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions.

08/04/2026

As a new school year approaches, it's important to remember that academic success starts with more than just school supplies.

Stability, routine, encouragement, and support all play an important role in helping students thrive.

Through services like Truancy Prevention, we work with youth and families to address attendance barriers early, helping prevent challenges from becoming larger obstacles down the road.

Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed.

Learn more about how O'Connell supports youth throughout their educational journey at oconnellchildrensshelter.org.

08/01/2026

Thank you to everyone who took the time to come out to Elsie's Place for our ribbon cutting and 50th Anniversary Celebration. We were thrilled to highlight our new family service center and the JSC beds to so many engaged community members, legislators, and local and state-wide government officials.

We want to take a moment to thank all the amazing vendors and our tremendous staff who ensured Tuesday went swimmingly (as given the humidity, it kind of felt like you were walking through water). Shoutout to Maceli's Catering & Events for the delicious nibbles and Cork and Barrel for the bubbles, Jeff Burkhead with Backstory Photography for these amazing captures of the day, the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce for bringing the big scissors and ribbon, U-Neek Events and Card My Yard for making sure our grounds looked festive and functional, Truity Credit Union for sponsoring the fun photo booth!

08/01/2026

It was quite the week at O'Connell. Thank you to everyone who made Tuesday possible. We are honored to take our next step in the child welfare continuum, adding additional crisis care to our programs of residential, prevention, and family foster homes. We think Elsie O'Connell would be pleased and amazed how her gift 50 years ago has transformed the lives of over 15,000 children and countless families in our community.

Fifty years after the O’Connell family donated its ranch to serve vulnerable youth, the O’Connell Children’s Shelter marked the milestone by celebrating the completion of a renovated home designed to expand crisis care for children. The O’Connell Children’s Shelter actually celebrated two ...

08/01/2026

Honored to continue the legacy of Mrs. Elsie O’Connell with our new family service center and 3 crisis beds inside of Elsie’s Place. Thank you to everyone who came out on Tuesday to help us celebrate our ribbon cutting and the tremendous milestone of 50 years of doing this work in the child welfare system.

‘She’d be real happy’

In the 1970s, Elsie O'Connell donated her land, a youth ranch at the time, to help children.

Earlier this week, the O’Connell Children’s Shelter opened the three-bedroom Elsie’s Place on O’Connell’s land.

Douglas County reporter Lily O’Shea Becker filed this report: ⬇️