Denton County Volunteers Build Beds for Kids Without

Photos by Claire Cotten

DENTON, TX — Over 300 Denton County community volunteers united on Saturday, November 9, 2024, to build beds for children in need, answering the Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) rallying call of “No Kids Sleep on the Floor in Our Town.”

Hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the event attracted volunteers from diverse segments of the community, united in a common cause for good. Currently, the SHP waiting list of children for free beds in Denton County stands at about 347, with 161,650 waitlisted nationwide. So, the need is very real.

“This is a community build,” said Calvin Griffin, Denton Stake president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “It’s projects like these that allow us to connect with one another in a loving and productive way. I would say that we are changing lives one bed at a time.”

With over 270 chapters nationwide and in Canada, SHP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to building and delivering free beds to children in need by partnering with churches, businesses, and individuals.

“Sleep in Heavenly Peace is an amazing organization that does so much good in our community,” said Elise Stolle, Denton area coordinator of JustServe.org, a free website and app that connects volunteers with local organizations that need help. “We have invited local high school sports teams, clubs, youth groups, and churches to join us in this effort. Connecting volunteers with community service projects like this is a powerful way to bring people together and help bless those in need.”

Sleep in Heavenly Peace Denton Chapter President Mike Ferrell agreed, “All these people here today are helping 50 kids get off the floor. When we started in 2022, we built one bed, which took us four hours. There were just two of us. And the next time, we did five beds. In the whole first year, we did ten beds max. Then, in August, we did a 20-bed build. But this today is our first 50-bed build. Hopefully, with this many volunteers, the workload will be spread out, and nobody will feel like they have to work more than they should. And everyone will have a good time.”

“The best thing about this project is how the kids benefit in so many ways,” said Mike Knisel, SHP Core Member. “Having a bed helps kids get better sleep, which helps them do better in school, get better grades, and have better behavior. There are so many actual benefits to this outside of just getting the beds.

“And it’s not just the bedframe. They get the mattress and sheets and pillows and comforters. Some women’s organizations donate quilts. It’s pretty neat.”

“And think of it! Kids may actually have to start making their beds again!” Knisel quipped.

It was hard to miss that many of the Saturday volunteers were themselves kids — kids helping other kids, most of whom they will never know. They came from schools, organizations, and churches across Denton County, with some individuals who had heard only about the event and just showed up.

Jayce Bilyeu, 13, is an old hand, having helped with nine SHP projects so far. His specialty is branding the headboards with the SHP logo. “People should think about volunteering,” said Jayce. “It doesn’t take that long, and it’s for a good cause. Every headboard we brand is for a child that doesn’t have a bed.”

Harrison Ray, 17, a volunteer from Guyer High School and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, agreed, “I think helping those in need in the community is really important. Those who have a lot have a responsibility to help those who don’t, and that’s why we need to be out here. That’s what it’s all about — strengthening those in need. That’s why we have a church and a community.”

Youth volunteers came from Argyle High School’s National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society, Founder Classical Academy of Corinth’s National Honor Society, JustServe Club, and basketball teams, Guyer High School’s Glee Club and National Honor Society, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mount Zion Praise Church, and Nazarene Church of Denton.

Ethan Edwards, SHP Core Member, said, “It’s really special that so many people turned out for this build today. It’s the largest group I’ve ever been a part of. The kids appreciate it more than we know — and helping kids is what it’s all about.”

To find upcoming SHP Denton Chapter builds, go to SHPbeds.org. To sign up for other Denton County volunteer opportunities, check out JustServe.org.