Having a safe and comfortable bed of their own is crucial for a child’s physical and mental well-being and development. Sadly, there are thousands of children across the United States—many right here in Utah—whose only option is to sleep on couches, in crowded beds with other family members, or on the floor.
That’s why last Saturday the Syracuse chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building beds for children in need, joined with local businesses and approximately 200 volunteers to build 70 bunk beds for children in Northern Utah who don’t have a proper place to sleep.
Beds of Their Own
“These beds are going to go to kids anywhere between Weber Davis and Salt Lake counties,” explains Jay Tucker, Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter president. “We have kids in need from all walks of life. It’s kids who are coming out of homelessness. It’s single parents who can’t afford a bed for their kids. It’s families down on their luck.”
For Dawn Rees, store manager of Walmart in Layton, this particular opportunity to serve the community has special meaning.
“When I was younger, we didn’t come from the best of upbringing. I was one of those kids who shared a bed with many siblings,” she recalls. “Knowing that there are programs like this that associates from my store could come and lend a hand means the world. We’ve been there to deliver the beds into the homes and see the children’s faces, see the parents’ faces, see the difference that it makes. It’s worth it. It’s worth it every time.”
Good People Doing Good
“We love giving back to kids in our community, but without Walmart and Lowe’s and the volunteers who show up, this isn’t possible,” says Aaron, a volunteer with Sleep in Heavenly Peace. “It really makes my heart melt that people would sacrifice their Saturday to show up and build beds for kids in our community. That’s what really impresses me the most.”
He adds, “There are good people in the world who still want to do good. We just need to give them a great organization to support. And Sleep in Heavenly Peace is that reason.”
A Surprising Need
The need for beds like these is greater than one might expect. In fact, between 2 and 3 percent of children in Northern Utah don’t have beds.
“Right now, we have over a thousand kids waiting for beds,” says Tucker. “The majority of those kids are in Salt Lake County, so we really are looking for people who want to be involved in the community, who want to volunteer and maybe even start a chapter. We could use at least one more chapter here in Utah to help support that Salt Lake County area.”
Generous Donations
According to Cody Shumway, store manager of Walmart in Syracuse, 120 associates from 11 local Walmart stores showed up to volunteer. In addition to building beds for kids in need, Walmart donated bedding and pillows for those beds and presented $17,000 in grant funds to Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
“From each of the 11 local stores, we brought 10 sets of bedding, including a comforter set and pillows,” He explains. “It’s an experience to be able to see that kid’s face light up and how excited they are for their brand-new bed with a brand-new pillow and a brand-new comforter. It’s just a great opportunity to be able to serve these kids.”
Jersey Mike’s Subs also donated lunch to feed all the volunteers.
“We’ve had huge support from our community here,” says Tucker. “We can’t say how much we appreciate that.”
Want to get involved?
Donate, volunteer, request a bed, or host a build with the Sleep in Heavenly Peace Syracuse, Utah chapter.
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