By Mrs. Margaret Price, Assistant Dean of Students for Multiculturalism, Leadership, and Student Programs
Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) is the sponsoring organization for the “No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town” Project. The organization receives over 1,800 applications annually from low-income families whose children do not have a bed. This is a critical need for families who receive social services as their children can be removed from the home if the living space is not adequately furnished. This project involves bed build days and delivery days.
Fourteen MVA students volunteered at the build held on March 9, 2024, in Windermere, Florida. The goal was to build 60 sturdy beds that will last throughout the childhood years. The volunteers were given safety equipment, including earplugs, safety goggles, work gloves, dust masks, tools for measuring and marking, and a few power tools for sanding the wood. There was also a quilting room as each bed is delivered with a pillow, sheets, and quilt.
Troy Wright with Light Orlando, a co-sponsoring organization for this build, said, “Light Orlando tries to bring light into the dark places of people’s lives. I believe that a bed is critical to school success so that students do not go to school exhausted due to inadequate sleep.”
Several people asked where our students were from because the students were so focused and hard working on a hot Saturday morning at the start of their spring break. They followed up with “We love Montverde Academy.”
In addition to sanding and quilting, part of our student group was assigned a very special task of branding the wood with the SHP logo. I am very proud of this group of volunteers. We hope to be able to participate in the delivery day.