Community and Church Help to Build Beds for ‘Sleep in Heavenly Peace’ Organization
Mary Ann Taylor
The day could not have been more beautiful—mild, sunny, and a light breeze. Last year, September 7th had a high of 108, just three degrees off the all-time Dallas high a few days earlier. It wouldn’t have been a good day to build 52 beds on a church parking lot.
On Saturday, 191 people came together to do just that. Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a non-profit with the motto “No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town,” brought wood, tools, and trainers to Duncanville. The group built twin bed components which will be delivered and assembled around the DFW metroplex. Community volunteers joined members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the project honoring the National 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance.
Participants were of all ages. Three-year-old Memphis joined nuts and bolts. Six-year-old Adilyn carried sanded wood slats to the assembly tables. Marzuq Abdul Jaami, an interfaith friend in his 80s, was covered with sanding dust as he greeted new friends. What all workers had in common were bright, wide smiles—and eye protection when working with saws, drill presses, and sanders.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace organizes build stations—from cutting and sanding, to screwing together headboards and sides, then dyeing the components with a vinegar-steel wool mixture. The final step is “branding” with a heated SHP logo. “When the weather is cool, the branding irons are heated in wood fire pits,” explained Jeannie Stone, a vice-president of the local DFW chapter who had patiently guided the months-long process. David Patterson joined many when he said, “This is the most organized process I’ve ever seen.”
The organization’s history sounds like many good ideas: One man in his garage seeing a need. In 2012, Luke Mickelson of Idaho Falls was leading a youth group at his church. They learned of a family with kids sleeping on the floor. They built the family a bunk bed with some leftover wood. Mickelson then built another with his family and offered it free on Facebook. He was surprised—not by the fact that families would ask for a bed—but by the many individuals who wanted to help build more.
When Mike Rowe did an episode of Returning the Favor featuring Mickelson’s work, national attention followed. People featured his story; CNN named him a Hero. The first few years, SHP produced 11 beds one Christmas, 15 the next year, and in 2017 they did 637. With support from around the country, Sleep in Heavenly Peace had delivered 100,000 beds by 2022. In 2024, they reached the 200,000 bed mark. Chapters—270 of them—exist across the United States and in Canada.
Materials and equipment expenses cost $250 per bed. Darrell Lange, chapter vice president, told the crowd that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has structured grants for Texas and Oklahoma congregations to build 2500 beds this year. Working through its local units, the Church relies on partnerships with other organizations and faith groups to recruit enough volunteers.
Other opportunities are available. Bedding—new and twin-sized—can be donated directly to the local chapter or from several wish lists. Businesses provide all mattresses. The beds are assembled at a child’s residence. This requires special sensitivity because the assemblers are guests and must be sensitive to the feelings of the recipients. Don MacBurnett, a Duncanville city councilman and a Lions Club member, has delivered and set up beds: “It’s the sweetest part,” he said.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace fills a need no one else had addressed. Many organizations help with food and shelter, school supplies and clothes—all worthy causes. Scott Miller, DFW chapter president, has found meaning in this work. With support from grants and labor from thousands of volunteers, the gift of a bed to a child who may never have slept in one will change lives, perhaps for generations to come.
