Volunteers building beds for area children who don’t have one

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - An army of volunteers gathered at the parking lot of Mattress Firm along Carolina Beach Road on Thursday.

More than four dozen volunteers are on a mission to help ensure children in our region get a good night’s sleep.

“About three percent of the population in this country doesn’t have a bed to sleep on,” said Tommy Underwood.

He’s the local president of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a volunteer organization that builds beds for local children in need.

“Our organization believes no children should sleep on the floor in our town.”

Sleep in Heavenly Peace was founded back in 2012 in Kimberly, Idaho. Since then, it has added more than 300 chapters from coast to coast. The local chapter in Wilmington was started back in January, and volunteers have already built and delivered 42 beds.

The beds are given to children who need them between the ages of three and 17.

“Word of mouth is a power thing,” Underwood said. “We’ve delivered beds to single moms who are sleeping with their children in a single sofa bed. This warms your heart.”

Every bed built by volunteer hands comes with a brand new mattress and bedding. A check presentation was held by Mattress Firm, with a donation of $11,000 for supplies.

“I’ve seen what happens here and we’d like to take this effort on a national level,” said Serta Simmons representative Alfred Conley. “Coming together as a team, you get so much that you give. You can give until you’re exhausted physically, but inside you’re ready to give more.”

The irony is that this volunteer organization is actually homeless. Sleep in Heavenly Peace is always looking for volunteers and donations, but it’s also looking for a permanent space to call home and keep supplies, so it is not dependent on the weather.

The hope is to find a space with about 2,500 square feet to continue its mission.

You can learn more on the Sleep in Heavenly Peace website here.

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