Sleep in Heavenly Peace's building beds for a better life

Kathy Haworth and Bethy Ely recalled delivering new beds to twin girls. 

When they arrived at the home, each girl had already created a little pile of items they wanted to store under the bed. 

The twins never had a bed before. 

Haworth said the girls’ smiles and pure excitement made it feel like it was Christmas morning. 

“It’s like Christmas in July,” Ely said. “It’s fulfilling to know you made a difference in a child’s life.”

Haworth and Ely have seen firsthand the impact the Orlando West chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace can have on children in the area, and they’ve been hooked from those moments. They have become core team members for the nonprofit, dedicated to building and delivering beds to those in need. 

On Saturday, Oct. 18, they can’t wait to be part of the effort once again as the Orlando West chapter partners with the Windermere Police Foundation and dozens of churches in the area to build beds outside Windermere Town Hall.

Windermere’s Police Chief Dave Ogden said serving others in such a hands-on way is humbling and helps restore a sense of purpose, which is precisely why it’s special to him to play a part in SHP’s Orlando West chapter and Windermere’s largest build. 

In previous years, the Windermere Police Foundation has funded builds for 40 beds, but C.T. Allen of Windermere challenged it to complete 100 beds to celebrate Windermere’s centennial. The WPD foundation and Centennial Committee raised $25,000 to fund the build.

Without the time and donations people give, the charity wouldn’t be possible, Bill Carleton said, founder of the West Orange chapter of SHP.

He founded the Orlando West chapter of SHP in 2018, and it has grown every year. 

The build with the Windermere Police Foundation is the chapter’s largest yet. 

MORE THAN JUST A BED

Ogden met Carleton through ministry work a couple months after the chapter started. When he saw the simplicity of what they do — build a bed for a child who lacks one and deliver it — he was sold. Carleton said Ogden came out with his wife to help build beds and went with smaller volunteer groups to deliver beds right to the homes of those in need.

It resonated with Ogden, who has been in law enforcement for almost 40 years. His unique perspective is what makes the charity extra meaningful to him. 

“I’ve been all over the country, in locations where kids didn’t have beds or several kids sleeping on a bed, and I’ve seen that,” Ogden said. “I’ve actually executed search warrants in residences where I’ve now delivered beds.” 

It’s given him a whole new perspective on the community, and he will take other officers on bed deliveries to give them an understanding of how people are struggling in different ways. 

When they deliver a bed, it’s more than just a place to rest. It’s a place the child can call his or her own. For some of the kids, it’s the first time they’ve been able to say that. 

Courtesy photo

“It’s a huge blessing to be able to deliver a bed to a child,” Carleton. “The impact on the volunteers can be equally profound because you get the opportunity to see a child’s life changed.”

Being a part of the nonprofit has changed Ely’s and Haworth’s lives.

Ely was at a rummage sale a few months before Carleton started the Orlando West chapter. She noticed a woman searching through all of the mattresses, looking for the fluffiest one — it was for her child. In that moment, Ely felt helpless so she instantly looked for ways she could help out in the community. She found SHP. 

“I don’t feel helpless anymore,” Ely said. 

She has been volunteering for SHP since 2018. 

Haworth said she has found her community of people by volunteering with SHP. After retiring, she enjoys doing a tangible thing with her life. 

Providing a child with a bed helps them with all elements of their life. 

“If you don’t have a bed to sleep in, you’re probably not going to have a good sleep for the night,” Ogden said. “You’re not focused. You can’t go to school. You can’t pay attention. There’s so many domino effects that has.” 

BUILD DAY

Delivering the beds wouldn’t be possible without the hands of the community members who put it together.

“We’re really all about pulling the community together to build beds for children to make sure no kid sleeps on the floor in our town,” Carleton said. “That’s our mission.”

Every build day starts the night before for SHP. 

At the storage unit, volunteers come together to load trailers with all of the supplies. After loading up, they drive the trailers to the build spot and leave them there overnight. 

In the morning, it’s go-time. 

The set-up shift begins at 7 a.m. to prepare the rows of tables. Ely said they make an assembly line at the venue. Windermere Town Square is convenient because all the tables can be placed in a straight line. 

The Windermere Police Foundation is looking for volunteers to help on build day.

Volunteers can come empty-handed and without knowledge. You don’t have to be a master builder; the SHP members will teach everyone how to do it and supply all of the tools. 

SHP also is asking for a few volunteers to help them bring supplies back to its warehouse. Carleton said they have to unload trucks at the warehouse with all of the bed pieces and tools. They use a forklift to get items up to higher shelves. 

The charity flourishes with the support from individuals and organizations, which is why  Windermere’s annual builds are huge for it. 

It’s special to Ogden, too. He said it’s a big deal to see the community and law enforcement officers standing together, building beds and working the assembly line. 

“This is a really big part of what we try to do here in our community policing efforts in the town of Windermere and we feel so blessed to be involved in a lot of nonprofit charity organizations,” he said.