LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Something many of us take for granted is a good night’s sleep, but for some children, even that’s out of reach.
That’s where the local chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace steps in.
“You don’t realize how excited a kid can be just by getting a bed, and then you realize that they have not been sleeping on a bed, something we take for granted,” said Doug Obermeier, the chapter’s co-president.
And with the help of Principal Financial, it built 20 new beds on Friday.
The nonprofit has delivered hundreds of beds to families in need across the city.
Many of the kids receiving them have never had a bed of their own.
About 2% to 3% of Lincoln kids don’t have a bed to call their own, according to Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
That equals out to 8,000 to 9,000 children.
“It was a little bit shocking to me as I learned about how many children don’t have a bed to sleep in at night,” said Gary Karthauser, the senior regional director of Principal Financial. “So, I thought it would be a great opportunity for us to partner in the community.”
Every delivery is emotional.
“You just can’t put it into words how it makes you feel,” Obermeier said. “When you can see the look on their face, on their parents’ face to know they’re going to sleep in a bed that night.”
For families struggling to make ends meet, Obermeier said those moments often become memorable.
He said that’s the exact reason why he started a Lincoln chapter in the first place.
“It’s easy to be overlook when people are just going about their daily lives, not realizing their neighbors are struggling, probably not having jobs or working part times jobs,” he said. “So something has to give.”
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