TRACY, MINN. – A small-town rural volunteer group received international recognition recently for a project building and delivering beds to needy children in southwest Minnesota.
The Tracy Lions Club received a Kindness Matters Service Award in a ceremony last Tuesday. They’re one of only 30 Lions clubs worldwide, out of nearly 49,000, to receive the award.
The group in 2023 launched a program, “Help Tuck Them In,” to provide free beds to children in families facing financial hardship. Each child receives a free bedframe, a new twin mattress, mattress protector, sheets, a pillow and a quilt made by local church groups.
To date, 208 beds have been delivered, with another 83 coming. Additionally, 20 cribs have been provided for babies.
“The most rewarding part is when a little kid hugs your leg and says ‘thank you for giving me my first bed,’” said Lori Alf, who helped start the project.
Alf is one of the volunteers who on a recent weekend gathered at a farm outside Tracy to build the bedframes, dedicating time to sanding and staining the wood.
She’s also part of a crew of about six to eight Lions members who deliver the beds to local families. The recipients undergo an extensive vetting process to ensure the beds reach those most in need, Alf said. The club partners with local government agencies and school districts, enabling them to assist children in need and those being placed in foster care.
Members of the bed delivery crew said they’ve been surprised at the extent of poverty they’ve encountered in southwest Minnesota. They said they’ve encountered so many children sleeping on floors.
