Local school resource officer starts ‘The Shed’ charity to help entire county

HENRY COUNTY, Tenn. — One local school resource officer is changing the lives of her students, and the rest of her county, one toothbrush at a time.

“When the people come here, I think they feel welcomed here,” Sgt. Michelle Brewer said. “It’s a comfortable place to come to. Nobody knows who is here. They don’t know names, you know. They just come in, get what they need.”

Sgt. Brewer has had a passion for helping her community for years, and she says when she started in schools, she saw a new need.

“And you could tell like hygiene products, they hadn’t washed their hair in a while, or I mean they would tell you they were cold,”  she said. “We have helped with electric bills, sometimes we have in the past. Sometimes we buy them groceries if there is a need for food.”

And that’s how “The Shed” started. She had friends to help her donate items, using her car and home to store the donations. As her efforts grew, some of the parents got together and bought the actual building she uses now.

The Shed isn’t just helping schoolchildren in Henry County. They now help everyone from babies to the elderly, helping out in any way they can.

“I think it’s reassuring for them because they know somebody wants to help,” Sgt. Brewer said. “And lots of families that we help are working families — they just simply struggle a little bit to get by.”

The Shed is operated completely on a volunteer basis. Kimberly Smith has been helping with The Shed since the beginning, and she says all the hours are worth it.

“It’s one thing to come and help, and you’re appreciative you can help with drop off,” Smith said. “But it’s a whole other ball game when you see a family come and how appreciative they are, and the parents leave and they are all elated, they have a bag full of stuff — they are happy.”

Anyone who is in need or who wants to donate items for The Shed can contact Brewer through the sheriff’s office at 731-642-1672 or check out their Facebook page.