Some were sleeping on the floor or on couches.

Several slept in beds where the mattresses were so worn the coils from the box springs had punched  through them.

And there were four that shared one bed.

By the end of Tuesday afternoon, all 15 had their own new bed, either part of a bunk bed or a twin bed.

And it was thanks to a small army of 42 volunteers and the generosity of people who donated more than $15,000 through the Manteca Police Chief’s Foundation that made the latest Healthy Rooms project a success.

“Our goal is want better living conditions for at-risk kids,” said Manteca Police Chief Steve Schluer.

Schluer started the Healthy Rooms endeavor just over two years ago after hearing of a similar effort in Modesto.

To date, roughly 100 kids have had their bedrooms or sleeping spaces upgraded.

And that includes kids who — after their grandmother took them in — had only one place to sleep which was a dining area in a kitchen.

“When we got through, it looked like a bedroom,” the police chief said.

The effort is more than a new bed complete with blankets and bedspreads. It includes dresser drawers. And each child also gets a desk, chair, and a desk light so they have a place to study.

If needed, they also get blinds or drapes on windows.

Rooms are also painted and minor repairs made such as patching holes in walls and replacing burned out power outlets.

In one instance, a broken ceiling fan with a light that did not work was replaced.

The average cost per child runs between $900 and $1,500, depending upon the need.

It also covers overhead the non-profit incurs as they need to pay additional insurance premium for coverage in case the furniture the volunteers assembled fails.

Schluer said in the case of a family with three kids within walking distance of the Boys & Girls Club, the foundation covered the cost of a year’s membership.

Save Mart also donated $75 worth of groceries per household.

The police officers involved make it a point to check in with the families from time-to-time to see how the kids are doing in  school, if anything needs fixing, and mentor, if needed.

In one instance, when a family was evicted for a late payment, the police volunteers helped them move the furnishings they put in place to their new rental and set it back up again.

Schluer said the 15 children will be added to the foundation’s Shop with Santa list.

Volunteers included off duty police personnel, Kaiser employees, school administrators, the Sierra High student leadership class, and various individuals such as former police chief and current council member Charlie Halford.

More Healthy Room work days are being planned.

The biggest source of the funding comes from the annual Policeman’s Ball..

The foundation also supports other community endeavors involving youth such as the Manteca Boys & Girls Club as well as the Child Abuse Prevention Council.

The Healthy Room Project “transforms lives, one room at a time”, typically for at-risk kids between the ages 5 and 16.

Those that are interested in contributing financially can call the chief’s office at 209-456-8139 and mention they are interested  in The Healthy Room Project.

Any donations can be earmarked for specific endeavors the foundation does including the bedroom makeover.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com