“It’s an excellent opportunity in our community and many, many families are benefiting from what our entire community is doing,” stated, Carrie Zeigler, President of the Clinton County Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP).
SHP was originally started in 2012 by a man in his garage in Twin Falls, Idaho when he noticed a local child in need of a bed. They then expanded in 2018, when Mike Rowe, host of Dirty Jobs and Returning the Favor, highlighted SHP. According to Carrie, SHP now has 350 chapters across the United States, Canada, Bermuda, and the Bahamas. Fourteen of those chapters are located in Ohio.
Since 2017, SHP has received one million national applications for children who need beds. They have provided over 250,000 of those children aged 3 to 17 with beds since. According to SHP, each bed costs $250 to build, with bunk beds costing $350.
When the Clinton County chapter first began in 2019, there were 100 children on the waitlist for a bed. “It was enormous, how many children that really needed beds locally,” stated Carrie. There are now only 20 on the list. According to Carrie, SHP Clinton County typically receives 75 applications per year. Since 2019, they have built 489 beds.
SHP hosts three bed build days and three delivery days each year. Each build day takes roughly 40 volunteers, according to Carrie. The process of building and delivering the beds begins with raising money for the materials and collecting donations. SHP often partners with local businesses, churches, nonprofits, and other organizations for build days and supply collection.
Each build day has a “very organized process.” The wood goes through several stations to be measured, sanded, tapped, and then drilled. Once it’s drilled, the wood is stained with a homemade stain created from soaking steel wool in vinegar to ensure a safe, chemical-free stain. The headboards are then branded with the SHP logo. On delivery days, each bed is assembled in the homes of the children. According to Carrie, a three-hour build can build 24 beds. Currently, SHP tentatively has one build day scheduled in April and one in May.
Learn more or donate to SHP at shpbeds.org.