Since 2012, Sleep in Heavenly Peace has been providing beds for children whose families can’t afford them. It started in Twin Falls when Luke and Heidi Mickelson heard that children in their community were sleeping on the floor. He gathered the young men in his congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who helped build a bunk bed.
After that, Luke Mickelson didn’t stop. He founded Sleep in Heavenly Peace to make sure that no child goes to sleep on the floor. Today, the organization has 325 chapters and continues to grow with opportunities to serve and make childrens’ lives better.
Levi Shaffer is the chapter director in Rexburg and has had the opportunity to bless the lives of children for years.
“I'm a school teacher now and I was sharing the story of Sleep in Heavenly Peace at school and one of my students the next day came in and said, ‘Mr. Shaffer, four years ago do you remember this house?’ And I said, ‘I don't.’ And then they said, ‘Well four years ago, you delivered a bed to me and it wasn't until yesterday that I realized that you delivered and that that's where I knew you from. You brought a bed to me four years ago.’”
Shaffer said they have delivered 2,000 beds in eastern Idaho alone. However, the current economic situation has made it harder to recruit volunteers and receive donations.
“Always reach out, and sign up, not just delivering beds for children, but always looking into your heart and look around and see how you can volunteer and help improve the lives of other people,” Shaffer said.
The organization can always use more volunteers and money to make more beds. Sleep in Heavenly Peace is in need of more than 163,000 beds nationwide. You can volunteer at shpbeds.org or call 844-432-2337, extension 5111. You can also find out more on Facebook page.