HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Not all children in the Tennessee Valley have ideal sleeping situations, but a local non-profit organization with the help of the community is looking to change that.

The Huntsville Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) teamed up with volunteers from Latham Church to build 50 beds for families in need. Members of the church raised $11,000 in a three-week span providing materials for Sunday’s build.

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“It just gives me joy that I’m able to do this and spread the word and it just gives me an opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives,” said Gary Taylor who volunteered.

According to SHP, two to three percent of American children go to sleep nightly without a bed.

Where we lay our heads down each evening to sleep can be taken for granted, but SHP Huntsville Chapter President Mary Ena Heath says the beds are life-changing for families in need, and each comes with their own story.

“Sometimes it’s a grandmother who all of sudden has three grandchildren that she’s in charge of and no beds for them,” Heath said. “Sometimes it’s a mother that has escaped a bad situation out of town and come here with her children with only the clothes on their backs and they finally found a place to stay and we help them out.”

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Volunteers help build and assemble beds before SHP delivers them to families that need them.

The willingness to make a difference was on full display Sunday with dozens banding together with giving back on their minds. “This is a community problem and Sleep in Heavenly Peace offers a community solution meaning we work together side by side to build beds and get them to kids,” Heath told News 19.

Volunteers like Billy Bell had never touched a power tool before the build, but he says it’s about the children who benefit from it all.

“Can you imagine a child sleeping on the floor versus having a bed to sleep in, especially on a school night,” Bell said. “It just breaks my heart to think that would be in our community and we just can’t let that happen.”

The SHP Huntsville Chapter has donated 1,200 beds to families across North Alabama since being established in 2022. For more information on how you can donate, volunteer at an upcoming build, or apply for a bed, the non-profit’s website can be found here.

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