By Kaity Coisman
Contributing Writer
DE PERE – The De Pere chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace gathered on July 26 to craft nearly 50 beds in less than three hours.
The event included 62 members of the UW-Green Bay women’s basketball team and staff.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace has chapters all over the country as well as Canada and Puerto Rico.
The organization’s mission statement is “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town” which has been put into practice right at home in De Pere.
Chapter Co-President Dan Vermeulen said, “Before starting our local chapter in De Pere two and a half years ago, I never thought that kids in the Green Bay Area were sleeping without a bed. But in that time, we have delivered more than 1,000 beds to kids who otherwise were sleeping on the couch, with a sibling, a parent or in a lot of cases on the floor.
“We provide handcrafted wooden beds made by local volunteers that can be single or bunk beds. Each one is delivered and assembled with a new mattress, sheets, blanket or quilt and pillow at no charge to the family. We serve over 75% of Brown County and kids ages 3-17 who don’t have a bed of their own.”
Vermeulen said that his favorite part about delivering beds to children and families is, “Just seeing the excitement on the kids faces and knowing that we were able to give them a safe place to sleep. We know that sleep is an important part of a child’s development and will help them perform their best in school.”
The building event allowed women and girls in the Green Bay Area to get their hands dirty and help others have a place to sleep. “I think it’s great to see women and girls learning skills that they can use to improve their own homes and save money in the process. It’s always amazing to see a group of volunteers turn a pile of lumber into bed frames in a short amount of time. We really enjoy providing a way for donors and volunteers to make a difference in our local community,” said Vermeulen. “The build days are super exciting and hard work. But the real magic is seeing the kids get their beds and how grateful the families are for what we’ve provided to their children.”