“No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.” That’s the mission of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, an organization that, as its name implies, provides hand-built beds to children from toddlers to the age of 18, and does so for free. For some, it offers a first night’s sleep off the floor in years and supports a basic need that changes a child's life.
“I’ve seen all kinds of unimaginable circumstances,” said Sleep in Heavenly Peace Tallahassee Chapter President John Cousins. “Kids sleeping in piles of clothes on the floor, multiple kids squeezed into one bed, sleeping on wooden pallets. We’ve encountered kids as old as 15 who have never had a bed to sleep in. It’s a hard thing to see and something none of us should just accept in our community.”
Drawing on his years of church ministry service and leadership, Cousins started the Tallahassee Chapter in 2018 after a friend sent him a video of TV personality Mike Rowe highlighting the organization’s founder. The chapter’s first build took place in November 2018, only weeks after Category 5 Hurricane Michael devastated communities throughout Florida’s panhandle. Since then, the organization has completed nine builds, yielding 160 bunk beds and improving the lives of nearly 320 kids.
“Sleep in Heavenly Peace is giving kids the chance to have what most of us have just taken for granted our whole lives,” said BB&T Branch Banker Erica Van Der Linden. She served as coordinator for a build as part of the bank’s Lighthouse Project, an annual community service program based on BB&T’s mission to make the world a better place to live. Van Der Linden enlisted the help of bank associates to build and purchase all the bedding for 10 bunk beds.
“The build itself is fun, but it’s the delivery of the beds to the children’s homes that’s so rewarding,” Van Der Linden said. “For some of them, this is the first bed they’ve ever had. You can see them climb onto the bed so gently, almost in disbelief that it’s theirs. It’s wonderful to give them their own individual space that’s comfortable, safe and tailored to their interests.”
Donations of cash, materials and labor cover the $350 cost for a completed, fully furnished bunk bed. The local chapter is 100% volunteer led and operated, so all donations go directly to building the bunks and outfitting the beds with age- and interest-specific bedding.
"It's a blessing to be able to give a child the gift of better sleep,” Cousins said. “It improves how they perform in school, and their overall physical and emotional well-being. Best of all, they know there are people out there who care about them. That’s the beauty of what we do.”
In 2017, Sleep in Heavenly Peace had approximately 10 chapters. Thanks to national exposure, it’s now grown to more than 193 chapters nationwide. For more information about the organization or to locate a chapter or build near you, visit shpbeds.org.