A Safe Place to Sleep

There is a plethora of organizations locally providing services to children. But one nonprofit vows, “No Kid Sleeps On The Floor In Our Town.”

A chapter of Sleep In Heavenly Peace (SHP), the Kimberly, Idaho, national charity founded in 2012, formed in Wilmington in February 2023.

SHP is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. There are more than 300 chapters, including in all 50 states and in Canada and the Bahamas.

Stating that because every child deserves a safe place to sleep, the group builds wooden beds for children. Resplendent with a new mattress, mattress cover, sheets, pillow, and a comforter, the beds are free for children ages 3 to 17 who are sleeping on the floor, sleeping with a parent or siblings, or even sleeping in a car. However, a place to put the bed is required.

The organization does not replace beds; these are for children who do not have one.

The beds are delivered and set up. 

“When we leave the house, it is ready to sleep,” says Tommy Underwood.

Underwood and his wife, Patricia, started the Wilmington chapter and serve as co-presidents. The couple, along with good friend Denise Saxton, flew to Salt Lake, Utah, in January 2023 for training. Saxton serves as chapter vice chair. Together with volunteers they have built and delivered more than 240 beds.

“We deliver all the time. We will deliver 18 more this week, and we are building about 60 or so right now,” Underwood said in early May.

New volunteers are trained and supervised by experienced team members. The Wilmington SHP chapter has been assisted by over 600 volunteers over the last 16 months. Production is anywhere from one to 15 beds per week.

Using an easy-to-follow bunkbed design, the Wilmington SHP has held build days in front of businesses whose employees join the workforce.

Young people are also getting involved. The Hoggard High School football team participated in a build day in July 2023. Underwood’s son, Craig, is the Hoggard football team head coach.

The Key Club of Ashley High School raised enough money in April 2024 to sponsor construction of 20 beds that are in the works now.

The group is using donated space at Independence Mall for its work.

“Bed builds are coming up for Eagle Scout projects,” Underwood says.

Applications come in every day. There is a waiting list of approximately 100 applicants, although it has been as high as 300. Underwood says the estimated need in Wilmington and Leland zip codes is around 2,000 beds. “We are making a difference, one kid at a time,” he says.