Posted by Palma Cicchetti on Oct 02, 2020

All children need a bed to sleep in. That is the mission of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a national non-profit that works to build thousands of beds for children so that no child anywhere across the nation will be sleeping on the floor. Getting thousands of children off the floor was the goal of SHP’s Build Day on September 26, called “Bunks Across America 2020,” during which local chapters built as many beds as possible on this one day. That may be 20 or more beds being built per chapter, and together across the nation with all the other chapters combined efforts, it amounted to thousands of beds being built in one single day.

This year, Rotary Club of Concord sponsored a Build Day for the Middlesex County SHP chapter, and it was a great success. With 94 volunteers in two different locations during two different shifts while wearing face coverings due to COVID-19 pandemic guidelines, they built and delivered 70 twin beds and raised thousands of dollars. Concord members are shown on the right taking part in Build Day. 

Chris Alphen, president of the Middlesex County SHP chapter and member of the Concord club, says “the beds are built by the volunteers and a brand new twin mattress, set of sheets, pillow and Annie’s Kindness blanket makes the bed look magical. I am not exaggerating when I tell you these kids are so excited when they get their brand new bed just for them. And, we let them know this is theirs.” 

It is estimated that 2 to 3 percent of the children are bedless. In Massachusetts, that represents 70,000 to 105,000 children. The children receiving beds must be between three and 17 years old.

Chris Alphen says “our motto is “No kid sleeps on the floor in my town and our town is everyone’s town.” 

Alphen invites all the Rotary clubs in District 7910 to host a Bed Build day, and invite the community. He encourages using the event to work together to help children get a bed of their own and to increase Rotary membership, by talking with SHP community volunteers about what Rotary is and does.

For more information, contact Chris Alphen, of Sleep in Heavenly Peace's Middlesex County office, at 844-432-2337 ext. 5910, or click here.