Father builds desks for remote learning families

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    OMAHA, Neb. (KETV) — Parents are juggling a lot in 2020 with remote learning and new schedules.

When one Omaha family began learning online, a dad started filling a need, not only for his children but for others in the neighborhood as well.

Marcus Holley has been spending a lot his time building lately. It all started when he realized learning from home meant he’d have to learn something too.

“I went to YouTube and I said ‘how do you make a desk,'” he explained.

Minutes later, he was hard at work. Once his kids had desks, he went to work for others.

“A lot of people [were] like ‘can I get one'” Holley said.

Knowing the struggles many families are going through, the father of three said it was tough to turn people down.

“When I ran into that, I was in a crossroads. Either I stop or I keep going. So I slept on it and I said ‘I’m going to keep going,'” Holley explained.

He was barely charging enough to cover supplies when something happened that changed everything.

“I had an anonymous donor give me a thousand dollars,” he said.

Now he’s able to keep building without charging families a dime. Desk after desk, he’s donating his time and a desk to a child in need.

“I got a real soft spot for kids,” Holley said.

He’s motivated by the memory of a child he’ll never send to school.

“I lost a son in 2008. He was three-years-old, so this is kind of in honor of him,” Holley said.

For his other children, it’s a way of teaching by example.

“Do good, help people. I feel like you ain’t lived until you helped somebody,” Holley said.

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