Miller saves Charity Chapter, introduces volunteer options

Shenandoah resident Jennifer Miller has spent the past three years dedicated to both building a sense of community through her work as well as volunteering, and she has plans to introduce new local volunteer opportunities in the near future.
Miller currently works in Essex as the main bartender at Garrison’s Pub N Grub. She began working at Garrison’s after moving to Shenandoah from Omaha three years ago, which is around the same time the business first opened its doors to the public.
Though she said she sees herself as more of a baker than a cook, Miller is known for creating her own unique food and drink recipes – all of which have been referred to as amazing by her family and the community. After a kitchen was added to Garrison’s, local residents were given the opportunity to try these recipes.
“The loaded potato that we have is a huge community favorite … it’s almost becoming a monthly special just because of how much everybody loves it,” she said. “That would probably be one of the top ones that we’ve come up with and [have] done.”
Miller said that her favorite part of working at Garrison’s has been collaborating with owners Marc and Tammi Garrison.
“Marc and Tammi are really down-to-earth people,” she said. “Our regulars love when they come out [to] visit and sit with them. They’re usually running the kitchen, so people don’t see them quite as often, but they really enjoy being a part of the community and giving back when they can.”
Along with making connections with the community through her work as a bartender, Miller has also recently become the Chapter President for Sleep in Heavenly Peace in Shenandoah, which is a non-profit that builds and provides beds to children in need. Miller said there are about 300 chapters across the U.S.
According to Miller, the local chapter for this charity died out around two years ago, and it was about to officially close when she reached out to the Omaha chapter about getting involved. To prevent this local charity from closing its doors, she “jumped in with both feet” and took charge.
“We’re getting ready for that to roll out and be open here in like the next week,” she said. “It’ll officially be ready to go, and we’ll be building and donating beds for kids who don’t have any.”
Miller continued, saying that Sleep in Heavenly Peace is completely run by volunteers who help to construct and deliver the twin-size beds, which come with brand-new mattresses, comforters, pillows and sheets.
“We take donations, either money donations to help us buy the mattresses and lumber, and then we take donations for pillows, sheets, and comforters for a twin-size as well,” she said.
Miller noted that Sleep in Heavenly Peace is not tied to any specific church or denomination. However, she said local churches in Essex and Clarinda have helped her cause by hosting bedding drives and donating quilts.
Following this statement, Miller said that she is excited to get the charity’s local chapter up and running again, as there are numerous people in the area who are in need of its services.
“Applications came in for 49 beds in just Shenandoah’s zip code since they’ve closed over the past two years … if you added in the other zip codes, how many more beds were probably needed while it was closed?” Miller emphasized.
Overall, Miller said the most rewarding part of being involved with the charity has been networking with volunteers and seeing the look on kids’ faces on delivery days.
“A lot of them [the kids] maybe never had a bed before or have gone without, and those kids are thrilled to have it,” she said. “The delivery days are huge. The smile on a kid’s face of getting their bed, seeing their bed and climbing on their bed for the first time is really exciting.”
Along with reopening the local Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter, Miller has also brought Hope Lockers to southwest Iowa. She said this is an idea based off of “Project Intentional,” a non-profit out of Omaha.
Miller continued, stating these Hope Lockers are filled with hygiene products, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, and more. She has opened two Hope Lockers locally: one at the Shenandoah Public Library, and one at the Old Road Cafe in Emerson.
“It’s all available and free to anybody in need just because of the fact that those struggling shouldn’t have to go without hygiene products,” she said.
These local Hope Lockers are maintained and kept open by donations from the community, and Miller said she is always happy to connect with those who have an interest in supporting this cause.
“Right now, I still have a small stockpile of stuff, and we haven’t run out of items yet, but there’s not a lot left,” she said. “So, [I’m] hoping we’ll get some more donations in for that as well.”
Overall, Miller is hoping to see further progress with both the Hope Lockers and Sleep in Heavenly Peace. She is especially excited to see what the charity’s future holds.
“We’re [Sleep in Heavenly Peace] starting out small just because our group is so small with volunteers,” she said. “So, I’m excited to see how that grows as we get more team members involved with our core team.”
One goal Miller has for the future of Sleep in Heavenly Peace is to expand the chapter’s services to surrounding zip codes as the charity grows.
Throughout all of her endeavors over the past three years, Miller said her biggest supporters have been Marc and Tammi Garrison, and she emphasized that she is thankful for the opportunity to work with them.
There are a variety of different ways to donate to each of Miller’s causes. Regarding donations to the Hope Lockers, Miller can be reached by messaging her personal Facebook page.
For more updates about Sleep in Heavenly Peace or to donate, information can be found on the “Sleep in Heavenly Peace - IA, Shenandoah” Facebook page.
“That has our link; either you can go online to donate or contact our email,” she said.
In the future, Miller is hoping to recruit more volunteers for this charity. She said that she plans to post updates on the charity’s Facebook page about opportunities for the community to get involved with building, delivering, fundraising and reviewing applications.
Another way individuals can donate to Sleep in Heavenly Peace is through Together A Greater Good (TAGG), which is a downloadable app. Miller said that after dining or shopping at participating local businesses, individuals can upload a photo of their receipt to the app. Then, the participating business will donate a percentage of the receipt to the charity of one’s choice.
In coming weeks, Garrison’s Pub N Grub will also be providing opportunities for residents to give back to the community.
“Garrisons is collecting all beer cans from Labor Day weekend and donating to [the] Essex Childcare Center towards their new building,” she said. “They’ll be placing barrels in the street dance for the cans.”
More information can be found on the Garrison’s Pub N Grub Facebook page.