Brian Scheibach joined First Weber’s Portage office in 2021 after a career as an educator. He partnered with First Weber because of their commitment to a cause that was near and dear to Brian’s heart, Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
Brian Scheibach was struck by inspiration one day in 2018 when he viewed a Facebook Video episode of Mike Rowe’s “Returning the Favor.” Rowe was highlighting a national organization called Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a fairly new non-profit that was making beds and providing bedding to kids with the motto, “No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town.” Brian immediately got to work organizing a chapter in Portage. At the time, the Portage Chapter was the 22nd in the country, and today there are almost 300 Chapters in the United States and Canada.
Brian, who grew up in the Fond du Lac area, began his career in education in Wauwatosa and that is what brought him to Portage about 10 years ago, where he was working for CESA 5.
Not only is he the founder and Chapter President of the Portage Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Brian is also the National Chapter Growth Manager for SHP. First Weber’s Portage office has been a faithful donor to the Portage Chapter of SHP. The office, led by Manager Bonnie Dixon, has held trivia nites and an online auction and partnered with the First Weber Foundation to raise $13,318 since 2019 – valuable donations that have enabled the Portage Chapter of SHP to provide more than 100 beds with bedding in the Portage area! Dixon enthusiastically shared, “First Weber couldn’t be prouder to be working with such a great organization. Giving back is something that comes naturally for us, so this was a perfect fit!”
Here are a few photos to help you see the process, from start to finish!
Brian explains the process like this: Lumber is either donated or purchased from financial donations and SHP volunteers construct the beds, which are stored in a warehouse until they are needed; bedding, mattresses and pillows are purchased to complete the child’s bed. Delivery teams are dispatched to qualifying homes and SHP volunteers set up the beds for children.
Brian was recognized by the REALTOR Association of South Central Wisconsin as the 2021 recipient of it’s Good Neighbor Award. Brian is appreciative of the support he receives from Dixon and the Portage office, whom he credits for enthusiastically helping to support the Portage Chapter of SHP.
Are you interested in starting a chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace so kids don’t have to sleep on the floor in YOUR town? Brian would love to speak with you! You can email him, brian.scheibach@firstweber.com or call him, (608) 683-9109.
You can learn more about the Portage Chapter by watching this Facebook video:
Written by Nancy K. Smith, Executive Director of the First Weber Foundation
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The First Weber Foundation donates to eligible 501(c)3 organizations that benefit communities statewide.