Better sleep, one bed at a time

 Despite a blizzard which pummeled the county Saturday night, members of the community were still able to stop by and give their thanks and help raise money for Beds For Kids, a volunteer program which donates beds to area children.
The program was started in 2010 by Jim and Sara Packard. “I worked as a cable guy for Charter Communications, so I was in people’s houses and saw a lot of kids laying on the floor or sharing beds,” Jim Packard said. “It just didn’t sit right with me, and I knew I wanted to do something about it.”
From there he started kicking around the idea with his local bible study group and not soon after the program was born. “I decided, let’s just make four beds and see what happens,” Packard recalled. 
“So we made four beds and decided to display them at a local church that was putting on a free garage sale to see if there was any interest in people needing beds,” he said. “We walked away with a list of 40 people who signed up that day for a bed that they needed.”
Beds for Kids provides children age 2 to 17 with a free bed complete with pillows, blanket, and comforter. “The reward is priceless,” Packard said of seeing a kid get their very own bed. “I think seeing the look on their face when they get that bed and giving them something they can call their own and knowing that they’re going to get a good night’s sleep is such a great feeling.”
“When we deliver the beds, and when the kids are home, it’s the looks on their faces,” said Jeff Kropp, who helps deliver beds. “They go from sleeping on a couch, or whatever their situation is, to a new bed. They love it!”
Jeff’s wife, Shari Kropp, serves as executive director for the program. “Even when we deliver to the teenagers,” Shari said. “There’s some teenagers that you’d think you wouldn’t get any emotion out of, but they are always so appreciative.”
Due to a busy schedule and a family of their own, Jim and Sara Packard handed the reins of the program over to Shari and Jeff Kropp in 2014. “They’ve stepped up, and they’ve done a fantastic job,” Jim Packard said of the Kropp’s work. “They have given so much of their time and resources to make Beds For Kids happen and sustainable. I can’t thank them enough, it’s fantastic.”
“I’m very proud,” Packard said of how his program has grown. “I’m proud of Jeff and Shari and all the work they’ve put into it and made it what it is today. I’m so thankful for all the volunteers who step up, and the people who support these things. We couldn’t do it without them.”
Although a bout of bad winter weather threatened to diminish the night’s fundraiser, the community was there regardless to support such a good cause. The fundraiser included a wine wall, a silent auction, tasting stations, a cash bar, and entertainment beginning just after 8 p.m. by a member of Spontaneous Productions and local volunteers as an impromptu improv group.
“Our first fundraiser was held at Good Shepherd Church in town and it was snowing just like this,” Jim Packard said. “We had 100 baskets out and four people perusing those baskets, and we didn’t know what to expect, but God showed up and we ended up walking out of there with $10,000 that night. It was pretty amazing.”
The community wouldn’t be deterred this year either. “We exist because of them, and I think this really shows how they support our organization,” Shari Kropp said of the steady attendance. “Them being here says a lot about their support for our organization.”
Since 2010, Beds For Kids has provided 1,400 beds for children in Steele and Waseca counties, 207 beds in 2018, and 250 in 2017. Since January of this year, they have already supplied 23 beds to children in Steele and Waseca. For those 23 kids, they can have a bed to call their own and get a good night’s sleep.