As a part of The Landscape data collection process, the Foundation also compiled a number of stories from community members who have been impacted by the focus areas. This is one of the stories that represent the lived experiences of people who reside in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area.
Johnetta is a single parent who balances a lot. She relies on public transit to get to work, college, and anywhere she needs to go. She has also struggled to find employment, due to a shoplifting charge that has followed her since age 18.
Johnetta Hudson has lived in Omaha her whole life. She faced many challenges throughout her childhood; she was in foster care since age five and both her parents had died by the time she was 15 years old. During her time in foster care, Johnetta chose to take advantage of a number of services and relationships that were available to her within the community. That support made a huge difference in her life. She’s now studying psychology and has a passion for helping others who have gone through what she did as a child.
Johnetta has a young son, no car, and a shoplifting arrest on her record from her youth. She knows she has grown out of the crime she committed, but that mistake still follows her today. The arrest on her record affects the types of jobs that she can get; not having a car affects where she can work; having a son and college career affects when she can work. Rarely does a job accommodate her college schedule, parenting duties, and transportation needs.