BOISE - A local non-profit is doing its part to make sure that no child has to sleep on the floor. Sleep in Heavenly Peace provides handcrafted beds to kids in need.
Luke Mickelson started the organization and now leads a team of volunteers.
"We built a bunk bed and we went on Facebook to see who might know a family that would need one and that's really where it started," Mickelson said. "We got so many donations that we thought we could probably make something of it."
Luke and some friends started Sleep in Heavenly Peace in a garage in Kimberly, Idaho, back in 2012. The organization grew and eventually they opened a Boise chapter. In 2015, they built nearly 80 beds. This year, they're aiming for more than a hundred.
All of the materials are supplied by donations. Mickelson says it is an effort from the heart.
"We try to reach those kids and those families who are in the most dire situation," he said. "You know a lot of these kids are sleeping on the floor, have never slept in a bed or in many of these cases have never slept with a pillow before."
Jordan Allen is the Boise Chapter president. He and Luke Mickelson grew up together and now share a dedication to growing this non-profit. They even have chapters in Pocatello and Logan, Utah.
"We know there are more kids that need our services," Allen said. "We know that there are more kids in our neighborhoods that are sleeping on the floor and we've got to reach out to them some way."
The volunteer crews actually get to deliver the beds to the families.
"That's the best part," said Mickelson. "A lot of them haven't had a bed before, so that's the most exciting part, that's what really gets you, gets you going."
"When I see a bed delivered, that's the icing on the cake for me," added Allen.
The motto for Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a simple one: "No kid sleeps on the floor in our town," Mickelson said. "It's something I feel very dedicated to, almost like a calling."
For more information on Sleep in Heavenly Peace, how you can apply for a bed, donate, or volunteer, go to the group's website or Facebook page.
