Non-Profit Donates Beds to Children in Need

WASHINGTON – The Washington chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace Beds has recently expanded to begin delivering beds to children in the Keota area. The national non-profit organization works to build and donate beds to children who do not have beds, including children who share beds or sleep on a couch or an air mattress. Since its inception, SHP Beds has delivered more than 200,000 beds across the country.

Angie Leyden-VanGundy, head of the Washington chapter, became involved with the charity in 2023, when she was tasked with finding a team-building event for Alliant Energy employees. She partnered with the Johnson County chapter, using a $2,500 donation from Alliant and 20 volunteers to build 10 beds in one afternoon. In November of 2023, Leyden-VanGundy opened a chapter in Washington, to deliver beds to the Washington, Highland, Waco and Mid-Prairie school districts. Over the past ten months, the chapter has built more than 100 beds and delivered 95 to children in need.

Beds are delivered to children ages 3-17. There are no minimum or maximum income levels for beds to be donated. The chapter builds beds complete with bedding, mattress protectors, and pillows. They have received an “amazing amount of support” from the community, including a $10,000 grant from the Washington County Riverboat Foundation.

“When we do our bed build events, we purchase our lumber and our core team instructs all of the volunteers on how to do it,” said Leyden-VanGundy. “Our mission is to get as many fingerprints on the beds as possible. You know, we could go out and buy the beds, but we want it to be a community event and have other people engaged and involved, so we build the beds...“We just have a great support of people that want to participate with the organization. We also take volunteers when we deliver the beds, and that’s the most exciting thing, when you see the rewards and how much enjoyment comes from the kids that are receiving these.”

The organization is always in need of volunteers and donations, either monetary or of bedding. You can apply to volunteer at shpbeds.org/volunteer or apply for a bed at shpbeds.org/apply/.