TOPEKA (KSNT) – A local chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace is working to ensure no child in the Capital City has to sleep on the floor, inviting the community to help build beds for children in need.
The Topeka chapter is hosting a volunteer bed-building event next weekend as part of its mission, “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.” Co-President Luke Bryan said the organization has spent the last three years responding to a growing need across the community.
“So we’ve done as many as eight beds in the house, or as few as one,” Bryan said. “Just kind of depends on what the need is.”
Bryan said he and the chapter’s other president started the local group after realizing they shared the same vision but needed more people to bring it to life.
Build days operate like an assembly line, with volunteers working together to construct between 20 and 40 twin-sized beds per event. Each bed is then delivered fully assembled, complete with a mattress and bedding.
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“For an individual build, it takes eight bolts, about 10 minutes with a crew of about six or less people,” Bryan said. “By the time we leave, the child’s got a complete bed to sleep on that night.”
Beyond providing comfort, organizers say the beds can play a key role in family reunification, as proper sleeping arrangements are often required for children to return home. The organization also assists families facing financial hardship.
That was the case for Matt and Rachel Doss, whose two daughters had been sleeping on mattresses on the floor after their bed frames broke.
“I think it’s just kind of an awkward thing when you first are asking for help,” the Doss family said. “But it goes to show when you see a need, there’s people that are going to fill it.”
The nonprofit has also partnered with groups such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation to fulfill special requests, including providing a bed for a teenager who had never had one before. Bryan said while the builds are meaningful, delivering the beds to families is often the most impactful part of the process.
“Families are allowing us into their homes, and it makes them very vulnerable,” Bryan said.
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The next build, sponsored by The Home Depot, is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 28 in the parking lot of Western Hills Church. Organizers hope to build around 60 beds and are encouraging community members to register to volunteer.
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