San Antonio-Many of us may take this for granted: sleeping in a real bed at night.
Many children in San Antonio do not have this luxury.
An organization is trying to close the gap. On Saturday, a local high school reached out to help build some beds.
"Our goal is just to build as many beds as possible today," said Eddie Arnold, the chapter chairman of the San Antonio Peaceful Sleep chapter.
Eight years ago, Arnold witnessed a friend of his in Idaho using the national organization "Sleep in Paradise" to build beds for children in the community.
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The story of the non-profit organization began with Luke Mickelson in Twin Falls, Idaho. One Christmas, Michelson’s children were a little grumpy with their gifts. This made Mickelson very frustrated, so he took the children into the garage and they got up together. Mickelson posted this message on Facebook, asking if anyone needed a bed, and the response he got overwhelmed. Shocked by the needs of his town, he decided to continue this work. Every year, his efforts are growing-a peaceful sleep in heaven was born.
A few years after Arnold witnessed this work in the North, he realized that San Antonio also had this need.
“About 2% of San Antonio’s population are children who don’t have a good sleep schedule,” he explained. "Some children sleep on the floor. Some children sleep on old mattresses on the floor. These mattresses are not good, or the sofa or air cushion, or they slept three or four children on the bed."
This 2% means that thousands of children in our community do not have a bed or sleep well.
"If you are tired, you have no energy," Arnold said. "As children grow up, they need sleep to allow their bodies to grow and develop normally."
In 2018, Arnold decided to open a local chapter. To date, the San Antonio branch has built 2,500 hospital beds. This means that 2,500 children no longer need to sleep on the floor.
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In 2021 alone, 800 beds will be built under the care of volunteer groups.
"Our mission statement is'There are no children in our town sleeping on the floor,'" Arnold said.
Throughout the year, volunteers help to assemble the bed. Between 20 and 30 volunteers provide regular help. Arnold said that ideally, they want 40 to 80 people in the warehouse to speed up the build process.
On Saturday, athletes and athletic trainers from MacArthur High School helped.
"There are a few kids who have never used power tools before," said Kevin Hirst, sports coordinator and chief football coach at MacArthur High School. "Everyone thinks about victory and defeat and X and O. A large part of what we do is not only that, but also build relationships with children and teach them how to serve our community."
The previous skills of the volunteers are not required, only their time.
"We eliminated the margin of error by using fixtures and templates," Arnold explained. "We are providing them with some skills that they can use in the future."
On Christmas Eve morning, this non-profit organization will provide 200 beds for local children. When each bed is delivered, it comes with a mattress and bedding.
Hirst said: "Whether we know the children or know how old they are, it is very satisfying to be able to give back and provide them with a comfortable place to sleep." "I think I speak on behalf of all the Mac people who leave here. We are today Also a winner."
This year, the San Antonio branch of Sleep in Heavenly Peace will donate nearly 1,000 beds.
Thank you for your great donation! Come on, fight for 200 beds on the 24th! The best Christmas present for these kids! #help #kids #donate #volunteers #spreadlove
The goal next year is to double this number.
If you know that a child needs a bed, please visit www.shpbeds.org and apply.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace is always looking for more volunteers and donations. Visit their website to learn more.
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