The HUB Lincoln, Lincoln

The HUB’s name isn’t an acronym. A former director of the organization told the Lincoln Journal Star that “Here U Belong” and “Help Underachievers Believe” were batted around as possibilities but ultimately rejected as inadequate reflections of what the organization does. Instead, the group’s functions are closer to the dictionary definition of “hub”—as the news article puts it, The HUB is a “focal point of interest, a center of activity” where “young people can get respect and help.”

The organization caters to low-income youth who have dropped out of school, are unemployed or homeless, are aging out of foster care, and are coming from detention facilities. Its programs help these young people gain a better foothold in the world by working with them to find careers or gain their GEDs. Community outreach services meet immediate housing, employment, and transportation needs for youth in crisis. Other programs provide tutoring services for students transitioning from detention centers to schools and offer training and enrichment projects to help male juvenile offenders strengthen bonds with their communities. Most important, The HUB provides a welcoming space where all young people, regardless of background, are welcome.

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