Building Beds, Building Community: Drake State’s Heartwarming Initiative with Sleep in Heavenly Peace
In December, the Drake State team of faculty and staff came together for a team-building professional development day unlike any other. Their mission: to support Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), an organization dedicated to ensuring that every child has a bed to call their own. What started as a day of building beds turned into a powerful demonstration of community care and collaboration—and a whole lot of fun.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace began in 2012 in a small Idaho town with a startling realization: dozens of local children were sleeping without beds. This discovery inspired a movement, one rooted in the belief that every child deserves the comfort and security of a warm bed. Since then, SHP has grown into an international organization with 350 chapters and thousands of volunteers who have built and delivered over 250,000 beds to children in need. The Huntsville chapter, led by Mary Ena Heath, has played a vital role in extending this mission to our community, delivering over 1800 beds in the last two years to kids in Madison County.
“It’s incredible to see the difference a simple bed can make in a child’s life,” said Heath. “When a community comes together like this, it shows that we truly can change lives—one bed at a time.”
The Drake State team’s December effort was nothing short of remarkable. In just three hours, they built 50 beds for children in need. Inspired by the meaningful experience and the spirit of giving, the team decided to take it a step further. They set a goal to collect 50 pillows to accompany the beds they built. But why stop there?
With the spark of friendly competition, the initiative turned into a spirited “Pillow Fight”—a campus-wide challenge among faculty and staff, divided into eight teams. Each team worked tirelessly to bring in as many pillows as possible, with bragging rights on the line. The results were astounding: the Drake State team collected over 150 pillows, tripling their original goal and ensuring that every child receiving a bed would also have a soft, warm place to rest their head.
Dr. Patricia Sims, President of Drake State, reflected on the initiative with pride. “At Drake State, we believe in going beyond the classroom to make a real impact in our community. Partnering with Sleep in Heavenly Peace allowed us to not only give back but also strengthen our bond as a team. This experience reminded us of the power of coming together for a cause greater than ourselves.”
During the course of the initiative, the build site and campus were filled with laughter, camaraderie, and heartfelt moments that left a lasting impression on everyone involved. Beyond the physical act of building beds and collecting pillows, this initiative exemplified the importance of community care and inspired the Drake State team to continue finding ways to serve their neighbors.
As Heath noted, “The need is great, but so is the potential for change when people step up. We’re so grateful for partners like Drake State who share our passion for helping children sleep better and dream bigger.”
If you’re inspired by this story and want to make a difference in your community, consider volunteering with Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Visit their website at www.shpbeds.org to learn more about how you can help.
Together, we can ensure that no child sleeps on the floor in our town—because every child deserves a bed to dream in.
