Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), a nonprofit dedicated to providing beds for children in need, will launch its first Clark County chapter in January. Tax-deductible donations supporting the local chapter’s mission can be made now.
According to SHP, millions of children in the U.S. sleep on the floor, on couches or share beds. This lack of proper sleep surfaces can negatively affect children’s long-term physical, mental and academic health.
Pam Shay, director of federal programs for the Springfield City School District, said that as an educator, she sees firsthand how something as simple as a bed can shape a child’s entire school experience.
“Research shows that lack of adequate sleep leads to lower grades, more behavioral challenges and diminished emotional well-being,” she said. “Without a safe, comfortable place to rest, children arrive at school exhausted, struggling to concentrate and more likely to act out. Their potential is stifled not by lack of ability, but by lack of rest.”
On average, the Springfield City School District receives requests for 30-40 beds per year, Shay said.
“And that is just the ones asking for them — imagine how many more are too embarrassed to ask or do not know there are resources available,” she said. “A bed is a vital ‘school supply’ for the success of our students.”
Beyond academics, Shay said the absence of a bed touches a child’s dignity and emotional security, and parents in national surveys consistently report declines in mood, energy and behavior when students don’t get enough sleep.
“Imagine trying to learn multiplication or write an essay while fighting fatigue from sleeping on the floor,” she said. “Providing a bed is more than furniture — it’s a foundation for hope, stability and the chance to succeed. When a child has a bed of their own, they gain not just rest, but the confidence to dream bigger and the strength to meet each school day ready to learn.”
Shay said her work with CarePortal to support local families and her learning about Sleep in Heavenly Peace at a national conference have kept her excited for a couple of years.
At an appreciation breakfast for local churches and community groups this past August, she put a challenge out to the community: “We have the right people here in Springfield — they have compassion, empathy, and a desire to serve others — how can we develop a program where everyone comes together to build beds and provide bedding to those children that need a safe, secure bed to improve their life?”
“And there it was,” said Casey Tingley, founder of Ohio Hope Builders, who attended the event. “It’s been awesome, but it’s been moving really fast, and all the different things have come together.”
Tingley will serve as an SHP OH-Clark Co. chapter vice president.
“The beautiful thing about this is all these things that we’re all connected to are all connected to children and families,” said Tingley. “They are our future, and we’ve got to invest in them. You know, that’s the beautiful thing.”
Meanwhile, as the local chapter finalizes its establishment, plans are already underway for the first bed build with the Montgomery County chapter on Jan. 7-9. SHP OH-Clark Co. chapter is planning its first official build in April.
Looking ahead, the chapter hopes to schedule future bed builds with community partners and schools. Volunteers are at the heart of SHP’s success and are always needed to build and deliver the beds; each cost at least $250, depending on material costs.
“Any parent can request a bed for a child,” said Jacqueline James, SHP OH-Clark Co. chapter vice president. “It will go through the Sleep in Heavenly Peace platform.”
Bed requests will begin this spring. A bed frame, mattress, bedding and a pillow are included.
James said businesses and organizations can sponsor bed builds, and individuals can donate funds that will go directly toward the cost of providing for a child.
James, who also serves as Clark County Careportal Church Ambassador with the Nehemiah Foundation, said SHP literally “helps get kids off the floor,” which is the core goal, as stated in their motto: “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.”
More information about SHP is available at: shpbeds.org
SHP Oh-Clark Co. donations can be made online at: https://give.shpbeds.org/page/FUNCLPBQMDN
Checks can be mailed with the chapter name in the memo to: Sleep In Heavenly Peace- Ohio Clark County, PO Box 2905, Phoenix, AZ 85062.
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