No Kid Sleeps on the Floor: How You Can Help | Our Daily Show Interview
ALTON - The local chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace could use the community’s support in their effort to ensure no child sleeps on the floor in our community.
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Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a national organization that uses volunteers to build beds for kids ages 3–17. Jason Brunaugh founded the Alton chapter in 2019, and local volunteer Dave has been a part of the mission ever since. Dave explained the power of the work they do and how the community can get involved.
“We’re just a bridge. It’s the community that’s rallying around the mission and moving it forward,” he said. “Rallying around a good cause is always something that is joyful. You know that you’re helping out a child and that makes it extra special.”
Community groups, businesses and individuals come together every other Wednesday and one Saturday each month to build the beds using hand tools. There are then delivery days wherein the volunteers take the newly-built bed to the child’s home. Both experiences are powerful for the volunteers.
In that first year, the Alton chapter built beds for 102 kids in the area. Last year, Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapters across the U.S. collectively deployed 87,000 beds.
These numbers seem staggering, but they’re not surprising to Dave, who knows this struggle firsthand and understands the power of the work they’re doing.
“I won’t say that it shocked me, because I slept on the floor as a child myself. That’s why this mission resonates with me so much. So I know that these situations exist,” he explained. “It’s just a blessing to be a part of this and to be able to help children and their families.”
Dave is thankful for “all the compassionate hearts” that come together to build and deliver the beds. He noted that the work wouldn’t be possible without these volunteers who commit to helping their community.
The Alton chapter serves 20 zip codes in the area. They work with organizations like Brightpoint, the Department of Children and Family Services, and school social workers to identify families who could use their help, or families can self-refer and apply online. Any kid between ages 3 and 17 who has not received a bed from Sleep in Heavenly Peace before is eligible.
In addition to the bed builds and deliveries, businesses and organizations can help by organizing bedding drives. Sleep in Heavenly Peace always needs blankets, comforters, sheets and pillows to give to the kids who receive the beds.
If you’d like to help out with any part of this mission, or if you’d like to apply for a bed, you can visit the official Sleep in Heavenly Peace Alton chapter website. For more information or updates, you can also check out the chapter’s official Facebook page or contact Dave directly at 618-377-4020.
“It’s a fun thing to do and you walk away knowing that you’ve helped to bless a child and a family or multiple children,” he added. “It really touches your heart when you’re delivering that bed to a child and being witness to what that means to them.”
This story is part of a spotlight by the North Alton-Godfrey Business Council. Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a member of the council. For more information about the NAGBC, visit their official website.
