Colleen Grant was driving through Lompoc one day when she heard a voice say on the radio, “No child deserves to sleep on the floor.” Although she doesn’t remember the ad’s original intent, she said the message resonated with her.
“I taught preschool for 30 years and worked firsthand with a lot of families in need,” Grant said. “I know children sleep on the floor. After my divorce, my own son slept on the floor for a while.”
The SLO County resident—who relocated to Lompoc after remarrying—went home that day and did some research to find Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a national nonprofit organization that builds single or bunk beds for kids ages 3 to 17.
“The closest chapter was in the city of Santa Barbara. I saw a button that said ‘start a chapter,’ I filled out the form and went to go and talk with my husband about it,” Grant recalled.
Now she’s the co-president of the Santa Barbara County North branch, overseeing 65 bed builds and deliveries since beginning operations in May, with 24 pending applications, Grant said. And she wants to expand the service farther north.
“Getting kids into beds is important. It’s not the kid’s choice to not have a bed, to be sleeping on the floor, or in a bed with their siblings. It’s expensive here obviously, and other things come first like food and shelter,” Grant said.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace started unintentionally out of the founder’s garage in Idaho when he built a bed with his kids for a service project. Around Christmas in 2012, the founder’s family built another bed and posted it to Facebook, where he received several inquiries asking how they could help, Grant explained.
“He realized other families need beds and need help, and other people wanted to be a part of the solution. It started with nine chapters in the Idaho area,” she added.
Since then, the organization’s expanded to 300 chapters across the United States and Canada and has delivered more than 100,000 beds, Grant said.
To spread the word about the new chapter, Grant reached out to the Lompoc Chamber of Commerce and local school districts and used Facebook and Instagram.
“Our first delivery was a single mom with four kids, so we delivered two bunk [beds]. She didn’t speak English, so we had a translator from the school district with us. The mom was standing there, watching, smiling, and crying; it was obviously such a blessing for her to have beds for her children,” she said.
Volunteers and bed recipients alike shed tears during deliveries because of its impact and meaning for both parties, Grant said. She’d eventually like to expand her chapter’s services farther north.
“In the beginning, my team was nervous about taking on all of northern Santa Barbara County. Thinking we’ll build 10 beds a month is what we’ll be able to handle, but [now] 40 beds a month is our current goal,” she said. “I personally would like to grow up into SLO County. There isn’t one there, and I know there’s a need up there as well.”
Anyone ages 12 and older can volunteer for building and deliveries as well as donate new twin sheets, blankets, pillows, or mattresses. Grant said they will also accept vinegar and wood stain donations—which are used for bed construction. They’ve received donations from a quilting group at Bethany Lutheran Church that made 60 quilts and from a 10-year-old girl who made three tie blankets.
Visit shpbeds.org/chapter/ca-santa-barbara-co-n to see a full list of donation items, a financial contribution page, and volunteer opportunities.
“It feels so good to be a part of the solution. When I heard, ‘No kid sleeps on the floor,’ on the radio I knew we needed to [make] a change in a simple way,” Grant said.
Fast fact
• Astound Business Solutions Powered by Digital West donated a total of $25,000 to SLO County nonprofits in July, giving $15,000 to the El Camino Homeless Organization and $10,000 to the SLO Food Bank. The funds will help support the missions of the respective organizations, which are in line with the broader values that Astound supports, such as literacy opportunities, mentorship programs for youth, housing, food security, and social services, according to the company. Δ
Taylor O’Connor from New Times’ sister paper, the Sun, wrote this week’s Strokes. You can reach her at toconnor@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 4-14, 2022.
