CHARLESTON, S.C. – For seven years, a local award-winning nonprofit has worked to ensure no child is without a bed, operating under the motto no kid sleeps on the floor in our town, according to volunteer Jack O’Connell. The organization, the Charleston chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, builds and delivers beds complete with mattresses and bedding for children ages three to seventeen in need.
It is estimated that 2 to 3% of children nationwide—over 2 million—lack a proper bed, which significantly affects their well-being. Since its inception, the Charleston chapter has built and delivered about 500 beds, helping children who may otherwise sleep on old mattresses, air mattresses, couches, or chairs due to financial hardship. The nonprofit relies on volunteers and sponsors to fund and build the beds, and families apply and are vetted primarily by the child’s age before receiving a bed.
The impact of providing beds goes beyond rest; a good night’s sleep stimulates growth hormones critical for physical growth and supports positive mental and emotional health, ultimately improving academic performance and development. O’Connell emphasizes that the beds are made possible not just by the volunteers themselves but by the entire community’s donations…