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IAM District 9 members recently came together through the HELPS program to support an important community cause, building beds, donating bedding and essential sleep items to help children in need through Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending child bedlessness.
Fifteen volunteers representing IAM Locals 41, 313, 660, 668 and 777 joined forces for the effort, including Assistant Directing Business Representative Tracy Gardner. The District 9 office, the Health, Welfare and Pension Office, local lodges throughout the district, and individual members all contributed bedding and financial donations to support the project.
In total, IAM members donated approximately 60 items, including pillows, comforters, sheet sets, bed-in-a-bag sets, blankets, and quilts.
Founded in 2012, Sleep in Heavenly Peace was created after founders Luke and Heidi Mickelson discovered children in their community sleeping on floors without beds. Today, the volunteer driven organization operates hundreds of chapters across the United States and beyond, building and delivering beds to children ages 3-17 who do not have a safe place to sleep.
“Providing a child with a bed may seem like a simple act, but it can have a life-changing impact,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli. “Our members understand the importance of looking out for our communities. When we learned there were children in need, our members stepped up without hesitation.”
The donations will help support SHP’s mission of ensuring that every child has a comfortable place to sleep, promoting better health, education, and overall well-being for children and families.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace relies on volunteers and community support to build and deliver beds to children in need. Through partnerships with local organizations, schools, businesses, and volunteers, SHP has provided hundreds of thousands of beds nationwide and continues working toward its goal that no child sleeps on the floor.
The project reflects the IAM’s long-standing commitment to giving back and strengthening the communities where members live and work. Through efforts like this, IAM members continue demonstrating that solidarity extends beyond the workplace and into the neighborhoods they call home.
