Making a Difference: Sleep in Heavenly Peace works to get Central Oregon children off the floor and into beds
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A Central Oregon nonprofit is working to make sure local children have a safe, comfortable place to sleep.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace, one of KTVZ's 21 Cares for Kids partners, has delivered about 3,100 beds to families in need since the organization started in Central Oregon in 2020.
The beds are built and delivered with help from volunteers and sponsors.
“Kids don't have beds and they need beds,” said Bob Mickelsen, the interim chapter president of Sleep in Heavenly Peace in Deschutes County. “Since we started this in 2020, we've delivered 3,100 beds.”
Volunteers help with everything from sanding and assembling the wood to building headboards, footboards and side rails before the beds are delivered to families.
The organization says sponsors are also critical. Each bed costs about $250 to build, including the mattress, pillow, comforter and other materials.
Final bed build of the year
Sleep in Heavenly Peace will hold its final bed build of the year Saturday, sponsored by AAA of Oregon and Idaho.
The event will be held at the AAA parking lot on Empire Avenue in Bend. Volunteers are expected to build 30 beds.
About 80 volunteers are already signed up for the event.
The organization says it will resume bed builds after the winter because building in an outdoor parking lot becomes more difficult during the colder months.
Looking for more volunteers and financial support
While volunteers are needed for bed builds, Sleep in Heavenly Peace says it also needs people willing to take on leadership and organizational roles.
Those needs include coordinating deliveries, managing inventory, procuring supplies and helping with administrative work.
“What we need is help on the next level up of people that organize that and make sure that it all comes together in a cohesive way,” Mickelsen said.
The organization is also asking for financial support. In addition to the cost of building beds, donations help cover expenses including truck insurance, warehouse rent, utilities, administrative costs, and software used to organize the operation.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace offers a “Bunkhead Club,” allowing people to make a recurring donation of $20 per month. The organization says that adds up to $240 over a year — enough to cover the cost of one bed.
The group says the community has continued to provide both volunteers and financial support to help its mission.
“Our community is so giving. My heart just melts,” Mickelsen said. “I just want to make sure that (our volunteers and sponsors) know that they are thanked. It's giving of their time, of their resources, of their assets.”
Click here to learn more about Sleep in Heavenly Peace's Central Oregon chapter.
Click here to learn more about KTVZ's 21 Cares for Kids program.
