CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. – 50 kids will no longer have to sleep on the floor after a bed-building event at the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce.
The New River Valley Sleep in Heavenly Peace Chapter held its first annual bed-building event.
“All these folks behind us here are building beds for kids in Montgomery and Pulaski County and the City of Radford that do not have a bed to sleep on,” said Paul Mele, head of the New River Valley Sleep in Heavenly Peace Chapter.
He said the demand in the New River Valley is always there.
“We’ve got 19 families with 46 kids on a waiting list right now,” said Mele.
Volunteers at the building event were split up to be as efficient as possible for each step of the process.
“I’m at the sanding stations, so we’re just making sure everything is smooth and safe for the kiddos,” said Paige Godwin, a volunteer and owner of Dance Tech and Blacksburg Ballet.
She said as someone who works with kids every day as a dance teacher, events like this are extremely important.
“I was feeling weirdly emotional earlier when I was sanding,” said Godwin. “Just to be in a place to have the opportunity to help other people is really special.”
Mele said this is important.
“It warms my heart,” said Mele. “It tells us we have a community of purpose that cares about each other.”
Completely funded by donations, the charity received thousands of dollars from local donors to build the beds.
“A tremendous $15,000 donation, from all of the members from the Chamber here in Montgomery County is letting us build 50 beds.”
If you need a bed for your child, Mele said you can apply for one through their website. All beds come with complete bedding, a blanket, and a pillow.
For more information on how you can get involved in events like this, click here to visit the Sleep in Heavenly Peace website.