news article
Building beds so children in need have one
October 2, 2023 / By Shelley Smith, Mission Team Chairperson, Immanuel UMC
Sanding. Hammering. Drilling.
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Those sounds filled the air on Sept. 9 at Immanuel United Methodist Church in Camillus. Sixty-nine people gathered in the parking lot along with 18 members from the Syracuse Chapter of Sleep In Heavenly Peace (SHP), a national organization whose mission is “No Kid Sleeps On The Floor In Our Town.”
The goal was to build 40 beds for children living in the greater Syracuse community. These were beds for children who didn’t have one of their own.
The Syracuse Chapter was founded just five years ago. In that short time span, and in collaboration with volunteers like those at Immanuel UMC, they’ve built 4,000 beds. Click here to watch a video from CNY Central about the 4,000th bed being assembled.
While it’s sad that so many children need beds, it is heartwarming to see the community come together for such an important project. Volunteers weren’t just from the Immanuel. Members from the Camillus Police Department, Brewerton UMC, Ionia UMC (and some of their friends), and even some neighbors of the church.
“The Camillus Police Department was honored to have been asked to be a part of a fantastic organization in Sleep in Heavenly Peace for such an important project. Building beds so that ‘no kid sleeps on the floor in our town’ was a great event with wonderful people. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this.”
There were jobs for everyone; even our youngest at seven-years old to our most mature members. We actually had more workers than jobs which is a good problem to have, so next year (yes, we’ve signed up already), we’ll be better prepared.
The bed building project came with a cost. It included not only the wood for the bed, but it included the mattresses, bedding, and pillows so that when the beds are delivered, the children will be able to sleep “peacefully” that night. In order to support this project, Immanuel needed to raise the funds so we have two craft shows a year (our next show is Oct. 27 & 28), we hold a miniature golf tournament, and we make fresh pine Christmas door swags.
Immanuel UMC is also known as The Church of The Bells as we have a beautiful bell tower located in the front of our church. On Sept. 9, the bells didn’t ring. The sound was replaced by dozens of power tools that were bringing hope and love to 40 children in our community.
If you can’t build beds, consider having a bed on display in your church and collect twin-size bedding. You’ll need a standard-size pillow, pillow case, sheets, and comforter. Many big box stores sell “Bed in a Bag” and includes mostly everything you need. They retail for about $40. Sleep in Heavenly Peace also accepts monetary donations. Click here for drop-off locations in the Syracuse-area and for donation information.
You can volunteer to deliver and assemble beds. There are other volunteer opportunities as well that don’t require handy work. Find a local chapter in your area by clicking here.