Sleep In Heavenly Peace Builds Beds For Kids In Need

OAK FOREST, IL — There was this dad in Oak Forest whose wife died and he struggled to make ends meet with his four kids. He tried — but one daughter was still sleeping on a cot and the other on an inflatable mattress. There wasn't enough money for a proper bed. Sleep In Heavenly Peace built the girls beds. For free.

That's the story Dave King, the Oak Forest chapter president, tells when he talks about why his nonprofit group builds beds. There's a need out there that most people can't see, and if Sleep In Heavenly Peace can help it, as he says, no kids will sleep on the floor in this town.

"It's not just our town," he said."It's all the towns on the south side. Anybody who needs help -- reach out."

Sleep In Heavenly Peace is national nonprofit that builds beds and delivers bedding to children who need them. That need could be due to a house fire, or fleeing a domestic violence situation or because families cannot afford them.

Whatever the case, families -- or their friends, social workers or loved ones -- can apply to receive a hand-built bed. Cases are selected according to need, and emergencies often get priority.

The materials, King explained, are donated by local and national stores or are purchased through donations. Volunteers build them by hand, then deliver and assemble them in the child's home. Mattresses, a pillow, sheets and a comforter or hand-made quilt are donated, too.

Volunteers do not need to have building experience. They're taught on site, King said.

The Oak Forest chapter is new, but the demand is plenty, he added. However, they need materials and building space to get the beds for the kids who requested them.

The chapter built its first bed last weekend, and it will be on display Saturday at Sleep In Heavenly Peace's fundraiser in Gaelic Park from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are still available for $35 apiece. Acts Of Kindness Cabaret will perform live, and a raffle is available.

Donations can be made to the Oak Forest Sleep In Heavenly Peace through the group's Facebook page or through the national organization's website and choosing the Oak Forest chapter.

Photos and video via Dave King.