Fredericks named Washakie County Homemakers 2024 Unsung Heroes

Dan and Nancy Frederick of Worland have been named Washakie County Homemakers 2024 Unsung Heroes. The nod was a result of the couple's involvement with Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

"It was six years ago when I was watching a video on Facebook," said Dan. "Mike Rowe, host of the TV show 'Returning the Favor' talked about a gentleman in Idaho building beds for kids and giving them away. The man's name was Luke Nicholson. As I was watching it I told my wife Nancy 'Come look at this. This is something we could do here.'"

Dan loves woodworking so he called Luke and asked him if there was a way to get involved. "It caught on so much that we were the 67th chapter to form," he said.

In the last two years Canada and the Bahamas also developed chapters. There are over 300 chapters currently, according to Dan.

Nancy immediately knew there was a need because of her years as an elementary school teacher. So she posted on Facebook promotions and talked to the different schools and Department of Family Services in different towns, in fact the entire Big Horn Basin and within the last two years Lander and Hudson were added to help build beds.

"We do it by zip code," said Dan. "Parents can go to SHPBeds.org to apply for a bed. If it is in our zip code we call and see if they qualify. This is for kids ages 3 to 17. Our motto is 'No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.'"

Dan said volunteers put the beds together at the child's house. "We also provide the mattress and bedding," said Nancy. "So many of these kids never even had a bed to sleep on let alone a pillow." said Dan.

He said they build during the summer and probably work 20 hours a week on the projects. "We're not giving out as fast as we used to," said Dan. "Our insurance covers us and requires we have experienced volunteers to set up the beds."

Dan is the regional spot lead in charge of the intermountain region of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. "A lot of that is helping new chapters and those starting out," he said.

Dan also loves music and is the owner of Hedge Music in downtown Worland. There he sells music instruments. He also rents instruments and does repair work on them. He was instrumental in forming the PSALM Choir. But since COVID, the choir lost a lot of the female voices so they no longer perform. Another group he is passionate about is the Sugar Beats, an all-male singing group that sings songs from the past and still perform.

Both Dan and Nancy were involved in a lot of the plays put on by the Washakie Museum.

But the couple still take time to visit family. The have five children between them and seven grandchildren.

In the past Dan won the Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year and Hedge Music the Business of the Year. He was also nominated for Casper's Jefferson Award.

Recently he volunteered to help seniors with their income tax at the Worland Senior Center. The couple is involved with their church, Grace Lutheran. Dan is on the city's Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission and Nancy is a board member for Oxbow Center (previously Cloud Peak Counseling). She also loves to garden and do crafts.

"It's nice to have the appreciation for this award," said Dan. "We have delivered over 1,100 beds. If we change one kid's life, then it is all worth it."