- Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) builds and delivers beds to children in need across Gadsden County, with demand outpacing supply.
- Volunteers are crucial to meeting the growing need, and the organization is calling on the community to help with bed-building events.
- Watch the video to see how you can get involved.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
In Tallahassee, an organization is working tirelessly to ensure that every child has a bed to sleep in in Gadsden County and beyond—but the need continues to grow. Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), a volunteer-driven group, is on a mission to provide comfort and hope to families, but their efforts are being tested by the increasing demand for beds.
"I found out they were having a build in Havana, so I went and volunteered," says Bill Wert, a volunteer for SHP who lives in Gadsden County. "It's a wonderful feeling to be able to deliver these to these children who are going through so much stress in their lives."
The organization has a simple yet powerful mission: to build and deliver bunk beds to children who would otherwise be sleeping on the floor. Bill Wert has seen the need firsthand as he delivers beds to families in his community.
"Kids are sleeping on the floor, they’re sleeping with mom and dad, they’re sleeping on the couch," he says.
According to SHP, approximately 2 to 3% of children in the United States go without a bed to sleep in, and that number continues to rise.
"Our list keeps getting higher. Right now, over 450 applicants and about a thousand beds in front of us, as a chapter. Think about what we just built last year, 500 beds—that’s two years out," explains John Cousins, President of the SHP Tallahassee Chapter. "We need volunteers, we need team members, I’d like to do double builds."
The need for beds is growing rapidly, but so is the organization’s commitment to meeting it. SHP is organizing multiple bed-building events throughout the year to help as many families as possible. However, they cannot do it alone. Volunteers are at the heart of the operation, and the organization is urgently calling on the community to lend a hand.
"Be a part of this, it’s fun! It’s an amazing community event when we’re building these beds, and people are all aligned together," says Bill Wert. "It’s just a wonderful feeling."
The organization hopes to double its efforts, but without more volunteers, they may fall short of their goal. As the need for beds continues to grow, the community’s involvement will be crucial to ensuring that every child has a safe place to sleep.
If you’d like to get involved and help make a difference, you can find more information about volunteering and upcoming bed-building events on the Sleep in Heavenly Peace website.
