Well rested: Sleep in Heavenly Peace provides kids in need a bed they did not have before

By TYLER RALEY | Photos by JEREMY RAINES AND CONTRIBUTED

When the sun sets and the moon rises, most people around the world clean up their residence before settling in and going to bed, closing their eyes shut and falling asleep to the peace and quiet of the night in their bed.

Not everyone gets that luxury though, and for many kids, that feeling is uncomfortable and causes the uncertainty of how much sleep they really will get.

Luckily, people in the United States recognize this major issue that faces society in today’s world. They want a solution to the problem, and now, there is one they can lean on—Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a national 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that builds and delivers twin and bunk beds to children who do not have the privilege of sleeping in one, and was founded by Luke and Heidi Mickelson in 2012 in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Since its inception, the organization has expanded to have chapters that reach out to every corner of the country and are found in nearly every state.

For the Reporter/Jeremy Raines

The Sleep in Heavenly Peace Birmingham South Chapter began in April 2022 and was started by Jerry and Carolyn Murray.

Sparked by a major interest in the cause that the organization provides, the Murrays wanted to jump in on the process of starting the chapter, ultimately heading out of town for training to be a part of the solution.

When Helena residents Norman and Peggy Wilkins heard about this, they did not hesitate to jump on board, as they had already participated in a similar experience prior to joining Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

In 2020, the Wilkins visited St. Petersburg, Florida, where their daughter was involved in a bed building mission at her local church. Hearing about this, the Wilkins participated in a bed build, and to Norman, it sparked a hope that they could do something just like it back at home.

“I just came back with a sense of, ‘Man, I would really like to try to see if we could get something like this off the ground here in Birmingham,” Wilkins said.

As a result, they quickly joined the Murrays when the Birmingham South chapter was started, and have carried that same enjoyment ever since.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace delivers beds to kids in need ages 3-17. After someone applies for a bed through the national website, Shpbeds.org, volunteers vet the applicants to determine whether or not they meet the criteria for a bed to be delivered. Birmingham South SHP serves families in many of the zip codes of southern Jefferson County and now the Helena zip code as well.  The chapter provides beds for the children of single parents, grandparents raising grandchildren and foster parents. The motto of SHP is “no kid sleeps on the floor in our town.”

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Once accepted, they get put on a weekly delivery schedule, which Norman and Peggy assist with.

The Birmingham South Chapter plays host to three delivery teams, one of those led by Norman and Peggy. Each week, the three teams head out to their respective locations, where they will deliver approximately 12 to 15 beds to various kids of different ages and genders.

The teams prepare by heading over to their storage unit and pick out what they believe is appropriate bedding for the particular children they are delivering to, as well as all of the bed parts that are necessary.

“Let’s say I need six singles and one bunk bed,” Wilkins said. “I’ll take all those particular headboards and footboards and siderails and slats that we put together at our bed builds, and put them in the truck. I’ll bring them home and then Peggy and I will go through the bedding, we’ll put them in separate bags for each location.”

On the day of the deliveries, the teams head out and do the fun part: setting the beds up for the kids.

In just 20 or 30 minutes, the teams unload the beds from their truck, head inside to the room where the bed is going and lay all the hardware down before placing the mattress and accessories, making for a quick and efficient process while also showing a lot of care to the job.

For the Wilkins and many other delivery teams around the country, they’ve become so popular that kids that they’ve previously delivered to will see them and run to hug them, eagerly asking to help them get the beds out for another kid that needs it.

Norman recalled the story of the day he got to deliver a bed to Helena, signifying how the emotions of setting up a piece of furniture for a child, like a bed, bring him and his wife much joy during every delivery day.

“Every day that we deliver beds, we leave wherever we’ve gone feeling so humbled and so grateful for what we’ve been blessed with because we see how people live,” Wilkins said. “Peggy and I just keep reminding ourselves, ‘It’s not about the adults, it’s about the kids.’ If we can get these kids sleeping better, if we can get them feeling good about themselves or whatever that would help them in school, then who knows what this does for a child?”

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Schools, churches, businesses and civic organizations can sponsor a bed build or bedding drive.  New twin size comforters, pillows and bed-in-a-bag sets are currently needed. SHP volunteers like the Wilkins arrive at  bed builds around 6:30 a.m. to get chop saws, drills, sanders, stain tanks and branding irons set up by the time the host group volunteers arrive at 9 a.m.

Once the host organization volunteers arrive, they are shown how to build headboards, siderails, etc. by the Birmingham South SHP Core Team. A typical build lasts for 3 ½ hours as 20-50 beds are built, stained and branded with the Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) logo.  For more information on sponsoring a bed build or bedding drive, contact [email protected] or [email protected].

For Norman, he feels that the entire process is rewarding, as all the hours put into it result in an emotional reaction that is matched by few actions.

“Building the beds is fun because I love working with my hands, but seeing the finished products go into a house and seeing the smiles on these kids’ faces, it makes our day,” Wilkins said. “It’s a great feeling to walk out of a house and know you’ve met a need like that.”

“The Murrays dedicated themselves to doing this and starting this and they’ve watched time and time and time again, God provide volunteers and corporations and companies and donations,” Wilkins said. “Their dedication to this ministry is selfless. I can’t imagine how many hours they put in.”

Both the Murrays and the Wilkins hope that they can continue to grow this chapter and bring more people in, knowing how valuable their volunteers are with every bed build and delivery.

“I can think of one word—unmeasured,” Wilkins said. “Just to see all the people that have selfless hearts and the time that they dedicate to do this stuff is pretty incredible to behold.”