The Oaks Indian Mission in Oklahoma has been providing young Indians with hope since 1926.
The small residential center houses up to 48 children and teens who have been abused, neglected or abandoned, or whose parents cannot provide care. They live at the mission while they attend a nearby public school.
J.D. Colbert, who is Chickasaw and Creek, spent a year at the center when he was 9 years old. He credits his success as a banker and leader on Indian economic issues to his stay there.
"I learned many customs and traditions, and I learned how to stand up for myself. I gained a confidence in myself that I didn't have before," Colbert, the president of the Native American Bank, told The Oklahoman.
Unlike state foster care programs, the center allows residents to stay after they turn 18.
Get the Story:Residential center motivates students (The Oklahoman 5/29)
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