Locals Make Beds for Children in Need for National Day of Service
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North Texas
North TexasCARROLLTON, TX — In support of the 9/11 National Day of Service, members from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spent the morning building 62 beds for Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure “no child sleeps on the floor in my town.” More than 230 volunteers assisted with the build, which was held at the First Methodist Church. Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ, alongside youth groups from the community and members from both congregations, were among the volunteers.
“I was really quite happy with the build,” said SHP Dallas Chapter President Jeannie Stone. “There has been studies done that show the quality of sleep children get affects several parts of their life. Children that don’t have beds don’t invite their friends over, don’t spend time in their rooms, and they are self-conscious to have people over.”
An assembly line of tools and materials was laid across the First Methodist Church parking lot starting at 9 am. Volunteers were taught the entire process of cutting beams, sanding wood, and drilling. Jobs were assigned based on age and skill level. The final assembly occurs when the bed is delivered to its new owner. With each delivery, a set of new bed sheets and a pillow is provided.
“It was fun and my kids got to cut wood, sort screws and bolts,” said Reagan Watchman a resident from Coppell and member of The Church of Jesus Christ that assisted with the build. Reagan and his wife Katie brought their children to help. “They let [our son] McKay cut hundreds of pieces of wood and taught him how to use the saw. There was a lot of supervision and you could see the whole process of making a bed from start to finish. Everyone had a job.”
Sleep in Heavenly Peace began in the garage of Luke Mickelson’s home during Christmas in 2012. His family handmade a bed from leftover wood and offered it for free to anyone in their community. The large response of children in need of a bed sparked the beginning of SHP. The organization now has 326 chapters across the United States and Canada and has provided 140,583 beds. SHP estimates that 3% of children in the US do not have a bed to sleep on.
“We want to give kids the best chance to succeed, and having a basic necessity like a bed helps with that,” said Stone. To apply for a bed or to help build one, the application is available on their website at SHPbeds.org. Donations of new bed sheets, linens, and pillows are ongoing.
“I can’t image children not having a bed to sleep in,” said Watchman. “It’s a great thing to have something like this [SHP] that can provide that for them.”
