Local Charity Builds 30 Beds For Children In Need

LEXINGTON PARK, Md. – Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) is a national nonprofit with chapters spread across the United States, Canada, and Bermuda. SHP is a 501(c)(3) volunteer organization that builds beds for kids ages 3-17 who do not have beds of their own.

According to SHP, roughly 2-3% of children in the United States are without beds.

According to multiple studies conducted by Harvard University, the National Science Foundation, Auburn University, and The Better Sleep Council, poor sleep can lead to many issues, such as hyperactivity, anxiety and depression, poor physical health, and much more.

“At SHP, we fully believe that a bed is a basic need for the proper physical, emotional, and mental support that a child needs,” the organization states on its official website. “When it was brought to our attention that the need for beds went far beyond our own neighborhoods, we stepped up and took initiative.”

The St. Mary’s County chapter of SHP recently took the time to build 30 beds for children in the local area.

According to stats on their official page, as of April, SHP has built approximately 639 beds and delivered 621 of them! The chapter has an astounding 839 volunteers that have worked roughly 4,343 hours!

“Our Amazing volunteers (from both shifts) worked very hard to build a total of 30 beds! That means 30 more kids will soon be sleeping in their very own beds,” the chapter announced on its Facebook page. “A huge Thank You to everyone who participated in today’s build event: Steve Abell, Ryan & Jaxon Bean, Madi Brady, Britt & Ed Carney, Nathan Earley, Kim, Mancil & Brooklyn Gray, Patrick Hilwig, Jen Kearns, Emily Roof, Rebecca Schaefer, Nancy Waddle, Mark Wilding, Amber & Eleanor Wood, Christine & Michael Woods, Ken & Michael Cooper, Andrew & Madeline Cox, Kathy Ellis, Riley Ferguson, Eli Hageman, Erin Hennessy, Jamie, Ryan & Nathan Naluai, Carleton Smith, Emily Snyder, Anthony Zumpano, Thomas and Gabriel Oakley, Andrea Atlas. A special Thanks to our frequent volunteers :

Shawn Snyder – earned his SHP mug for volunteering 15 times. To Michael Ryan, Sue Wilding, and Alyssa Zumpano, who earned their SHP shirts for their 5th time volunteering! And, of course, our Core Members: Craig Simpson, Mary Williams, Jason Glenn, and Jeff Urness for ensuring everything ran smoothly!”