Sleep in Heavenly Peace continues mission after break-in

     Since June 2019, the Jones County chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) has been busy making 144 beds for children who have gone without.

     Materials and tools were purchased thanks to generous donations and contributions by so many.

     Heather and Nic Weers of Anamosa lead the cause, and rented a storage shed in which to store their supplies (lumber, tools, bedding, etc.).

     The last time the Weers were at their storage shed was the day before Thanksgiving. When they returned on Saturday, Dec. 5, they discovered that much of their items were missing.

     “We went to get some wood for our Sunday build,” Heather Weers said of finding their items in disarray.

     SHP planned to work with members of the Anamosa High School FFA to build several beds on Dec. 6. That event went off without a hitch after SHP was able to utilize tools from the Delaware County Chapter, led by Keith Kramer, of Hopkinton. The FFA ended up assisting in completing 10 beds with the help of four adults, five students, and FFA advisor Chelsea Arensdorf.

     “Nic and I looked at each other and discussed the build that was scheduled for the next day,” recalled Weers of not knowing whether they would be able to have it or not. “We decided that this was not going to stop us despite our circumstances.”

     The majority of SHP’s tools and some plastic totes were stolen, in excessive of $8,000. The totes, which were not identifiable from the outside, contained bedding such as sheets, comforters, and pillows.

     Whoever broke in also stole a tote filled with smaller pieces of scrap wood.

     “Not sure what they thought they could do with that,” Weers said with some skepticism.

     Another sign that something was amiss, shared Weers, was the fact that their storage unit contained a different padlock than they initially put on the door.

     Weers said they called the owner of the storage business to have the lock cut off so they could access what was inside. The owner said he did not install new locks.

     Once Heather and Nic opened the door to their unit and looked inside, their nightmare became a reality.

     “Unfortunately, we saw what our gut told us,” Weers said.

     While the storage shed business is located on a main road in Anamosa, Weers said there were no security cameras installed where their shed sits off the road.

     They contacted the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, and an officer arrived on scene right away. They were told there have been several break-ins recently in Jones County.

     “But this is not supposed to happen,” Weers said of living in a small town in Iowa.

     Over a week later, there are no leads to this story. Weers has come to the realization that they will never find who did it or have their items returned.

     Working with the AHS FFA, Weers said, did lift their spirits the next day. The incident did prove that SHP and its volunteers will keep working on their mission on getting kids into beds ASAP.

     “The community support has been so amazing,” Weers said.

     After posting a picture of the mess inside their storage shed to the Jones County SHP Facebook page, as well as a link for people to donate toward the cause, the outpouring of support was incredible.

     “It’s had me in tears,” continued Weers. “It’s been absolutely amazing.”

     People have donated toward the purchase of building materials and bedding, as well as tools and general monetary donations, too.

     “Any donations gets us back up and running,” Weers said.

     Donations can also be made at Citizens Bank in Anamosa.

     Weers said they’ve received donations from so many people, many of whom they don’t know.

     “We’ve heard from lots of different people from lots of different areas.”

     Other SHP chapters have shared the sad news on their social media pages, continuing the support from near and far.

     “News has obviously been spreading,” Weers said of the situation.

     Funny story… Weers was contacted by a news reporter from the State of Mississippi wanting to interview them. When Weers asked if they wanted to talk via Zoom or over the phone, the reporter informed her that they could visit in-person. Apparently the news crew thought the incident took place in Jones County, Mississippi, not Jones County, Iowa.

     To help support SHP’s mission, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SHPJonesCo.