EXETER, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— A stack of lumber became a symbol of hope in Exeter.
Dozens of volunteers gathered to give local children something many of us take for granted, a bed.
The national non-profit "Sleep in Heavenly Peace" teamed up with the Kiwanis Club of Wyoming Area.
They held a massive bed build event at Saint Barbara's Church in Exeter.
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About 50 volunteers helped cut, sand, and stain the materials.
The goal? To assemble up to a hundred beds for children in need across Luzerne County.
It is a personal mission for the woman who leads this effort.
"Well, it's personal to me, I know what it's like not to have a bed. I come from a poor family of 7 children in south Boston, when my mom said get to bed, you ran for your spot or you didn't have one, or you were sleeping on top of other siblings which was super uncomfortable," recalled Denise Ogurkis, President, Sleep in Heavenly Peace Luzerne County.
"It's great, there's people from all over, lots of people I do not know, lot of people I'm getting to know, and it's just good to see everybody come out on a Saturday morning when they could be doing a million other things, but they're here for a good cause," said Michele Lombardo, volunteer, Dallas.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace has built and delivered more than a thousand beds locally since 2018.
Their backlog currently has at least 750 requests, but they say anybody in Luzerne County can request a bed at their website.
