Charity builds over 80 youth beds

Over 80 local kids have received beds since fall, when the local chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) started.

Dave Elledge, executive co-pastor at The Bluff Church, started the project, which is focused on supplying beds to local children who don’t have one to sleep in.

Thirty of the beds are built, with mattresses for them delivered yesterday. They’ll be going out in the next week or so. Elledge said there are over 30 more kids on their list to receive one, with more added every week.

The beds are made locally by volunteers who cut, build, stain and brand the beds before delivering them and assembling them at the child’s home. They also deliver a mattress, bedding and pillows with the bed frame.

SHP has hosted three build days since September when they built 22 beds. The two days since then, volunteers have built 30 beds.

The builds are done in an assembly-line style. Volunteers start by cutting pieces of wood to the right side before the pieces are sanded, holes are drills, and the pieces are assembled into the headboard, footboard and sides. Each get dunked in a vinegar solution that gives them a slight stain. The headboards and footboards are also branded with the SHP logo. The twin sized beds are designed to be either single beds or bunk beds, depending on family needs.

Elledge said he’s seen a supportive response from the community.

The Poplar Bluff Regional Giving Circle gave SHP a $3,500 grant in November and Next Level Youth Ministry at Palace of Praise gave a donation this week as part of learning about generosity and giving. A complete bed for one child costs $175, which includes mattress and bedding, according to the donation site. A bunk bed, which is for two kids, costs $350.

“Those kinds of things just keep popping up,” Elledge said. “Either people donating monetarily or donating bedding items. It’s been really good. We couldn’t have asked for a better start for what we’re doing.”

Elledge said the next build day isn’t “on the calendar yet,” but it will likely be in January, with one in Sikeston in February or March.

The goal in 2020 is to continue serving the community and building as much as they can. Most of the beds have gone to families in Poplar Bluff, but some have also gone into the surrounding area. Elledge said there are kids in Doniphan and Piedmont still on the waiting list. The farthest request has been from Scott City.

“As soon as we raise enough funds to do a build, we’re going to do it,” Elledge said. “Just keep going that way.”

Those interested in donating to the program or requesting a bed can go to shpbeds.org/chapter/mo-poplar-bluff.