Photo courtesy of Tahj'ee Smith | Brian Weedman and Lori Alf help bring bed mattress to Zach Horvath's home.

TRACY — At the end of the day, people’s love for each other is what makes good happen in the world. That’s the message local freelance filmmaker and Southwest Minnesota State University alumni Tahj’ee Smith wants to convey in his documentary about local volunteer organization Help Tuck Them In.

The documentary will premiere Thursday in Tracy at the Caboose starting at 6:30 p.m.

Help Tuck Them In is a small volunteer organization with a mission to make sure every child can sleep in a bed at night, according to its official website. The documentary follows their start as something very small, initially working to get their foot in the door, to their story of success making a difference in Tracy’s community. Community members from all across Lyon County volunteer to help out.

“It’s almost a crime to sleep in a park. These people are advocating to eliminate that. This whole documentary is really about the community,” Smith said. “People from all different backgrounds coming together, one common goal, one common mission.”

Three years out from its founding on May 25, 2023, Help Tuck Them In has provided 399 beds and 33 cribs to families in need. According to Lori Alf, the Help Tuck them In Coordinator, dedicated Help Tuck Them In members Joe Buyck, Lori Alf, George Erbes, and Greg Holland don’t do it for a single dime.

Filming for the documentary started in February and finished four months later on May 15. He said those months included working around schedules to be present for whatever volunteer work happened to be taking place, along with 10 filming days totaling upwards of six hours a day.

But filming is only half the process, the other half is editing. On May 22, Smith had over 500 clips of footage to edit. Three weeks and 120 hours of editing later, Smith had a first draft. He said The Help Tuck Them In team loved it.

“Its a challenge, and I love a challenge,” Smith said. “It was tough, what to include and what not to include. Pivoting and making it all work is great.”

“I think it turned out amazing, I do. I absolutely love everything about it.” Alf said. “Tahj’ee is so professional and knowledgeable about telling us what he needs us to do. This has been one of the best things I’ve done in my life, hands down.”

The 27-minute final draft will be screened at the Caboose in Tracy. A social hour starts at 6:30 p.m., and the premiere follows at 7:30 p.m. The event will be free to attend.

Smith will also upload the documentary on Friday to his YouTube channel @smackent_9. Smith graduated from SMSU after playing college football on scholarship and graduating with a degree in mass communications and media.