OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Inside an inconspicuous building in Millard, you'll find stacks of 1x4s and a lot of noise. But even more than that - you'll find heart.
- Omaha's chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace was founded in 2018. "We didn't know this was a problem, until someone told us this was a problem - and we knew we had to do something about it," Greg Kraemer, vice president, explained.
- Last year was the group's most productive yet at 1,000 beds. Volunteers aim for that number again this year, understanding the need.
- SHP serves three to 17-year-olds. Their research shows about 3% of that age group goes without a bed of their own, which equates to 14,000 kids and teens in the Omaha metro.
Continue reading for the on-air transcript, including details about how to support the cause.
Their system is refined: cutting, sanding, stapling, branding. The parts make up a twin size bed.
"We didn't know this was a problem, until someone told us this was a problem - and we knew we had to do something about it," Greg Kraemer, vice president of Omaha's Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter, recalled of that first introduction to the cause.
The nonprofit serves girls and boys three to 17 years old.
"Since 2018, we've delivered just over 3,500 beds. Our population has grown, the need has grown, and we're still chipping away," Kraemer said smiling because their research shows that 3% of kids and teens don't have a bed.
That equates to 14,000 in the Omaha metro.
"We delivered 1,000 in 2024. We cannot deliver less than that this year, Mary, so we want to deliver 1,000 beds in 2025, as well," Kraemer explained to 3 News Now's Mary Nelson.
The volunteers this day are a mix. Some are from the Navy, others are retirees and regulars. John Sunberg has volunteered with SHP for three years.
"I retired from farming and moved to Omaha," he said, "And I found out about this through Sunday school class, and I came once and I was set to go."
On a recent delivery, Sunberg met one family with eight children; none had a bed. Their mom, Sunberg paused, also shared something else.
"She said, 'When I was growing up, I never had a bed, either.' So it just melts your heart and makes you want to keep going."
Asked about the kids and teens they meet, Kraemer said, "They share a bed with a sibling, they sleep on the floor, they're just in difficult circumstances."
"Our mission is that 'no child sleeps on the floor in our town,'" he added.
Because, what's shown is how kids who sleep well are better set up to learn and grow in ways that matter.
"The simple process of building a wood bed for a child can change their life, and that's where I find some meaning, I guess, and you can too," Kraemer encouraged.
To volunteer, apply for a bed, or sponsor one, click here.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace serves Douglas and Sarpy Counties, as well as Council Bluffs.