SAN ANTONIO – Halloween may be over, but the holiday spirit is already in full swing in San Antonio.
More than 150 volunteers gathered in the Lowe’s parking lot on Austin Highway Wednesday morning to build beds for local families in need.
The community build event was organized by the nonprofit Sleep in Heavenly Peace, which provides beds to children who are sleeping on floors.
Volunteer Jason Hinton was among those lending a hand that morning, and as a father of two, the cause hits close to home for him.
“Thank God there are community partners like Sleep in Heavenly Peace that help relieve that. I could just couldn’t imagine my kids not being able to sleep in a bed,” said Hinton.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s founder, Luke Mickelson, shared what led him to start the non-profit in 2012.
“When I realized that there was kids sleeping on the floor in my small community, that was such a shock to me that I knew, okay, I needed to do something,” Mickelson explained. “A bed should not be a luxury. It’s a necessity for these kids and their development. And we’re here to solve that problem. We’re here to use the community and have a community involved so they can help the kids in their own town.”
Volunteers at the event cut, hammered, and drilled to assemble the beds, working assembly-line style as they aimed to build 350 beds.
The San Antonio chapter’s goal is to deliver the beds to families in need before the December holidays.
“We’re here to give back to the community, give back our time, and hopefully make a difference in San Antonio,” said Hinton.
With hundreds of beds built in just one morning, the volunteers’ efforts will certainly brighten the holidays for local families struggling to provide the basic necessity of a bed for their children.
If you are interested in getting involved, you can find more information here.