No Kid Sleeps on the Floor: LH Sleep In Heavenly Peace Chapter Provides Beds for Children in Need Help Support Their Mission To Provide Kids With a Good Night’s Sleep
By Emily Wright
LOCK HAVEN, PA – Lock Haven’s Sleep in Heavenly Peace Chapter President, Laura Orndorf, has been making a difference in the community since taking over the chapter in March of 2022. With a background in teaching and a strong desire to help those in need, Laura has been dedicated to the mission and purpose of Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and its mission is to ensure that children have a safe and comfortable place to rest their head at night. Across the United States and Canada, SHP has chapters dedicated to addressing the issue of children sleeping without proper beds, and through the hard work of volunteers, these chapters build and donate beds to children in need. According to Laura, “If you don’t have the resources to buy a child a bed, that’s where we come in.” The Lock Haven SHP Chapter has a clear mission statement posted on its Facebook page: “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town!”
The Record spoke with Laura to shed light on what the organization does for local children through its Lock Haven chapter and to learn more about a recent call to action for community support, as a recent surge in requests for beds have exceeded what the chapter can provide without more help.
Laura shared that her journey to becoming President of the Lock Haven Sleep in Heavenly Peace Chapter began with her church. “Great Island Presbyterian Church became involved with the organization in 2018, and after my daughter left for college I felt called to do something,” she said. Before becoming a chapter leader, she had to go through training in Utah where she learned how to build beds and how to meet the guidelines in place for the beds that are built and then donated to children in need.
All of the beds donated through the organization are built in Lock Haven and donated to local children in need. “We can only make beds from new materials and new lumber; they’re not used or donated beds,” Laura explained. The Sleep in Heavenly Peace Lock Haven Chapter operates out of the SA Piper Logistics building, and the space that the chapter uses along with the electricity they require to build the beds is donated to the initiative. “They donate everything to us,” Laura shared.
The Lock Haven Chapter stayed busy in 2023, building and delivering beds to local children from ages 3 to 17. “In 2023 we built 140-ish beds and delivered 118 of them,” Laura said. “We serve all of Keystone Central School District, from Renovo to Lock Haven to Jersey Shore.”
The Lock Haven Chapter has seen a significant need for help in recent weeks. In the final week of December 2023 alone, the chapter received 24 requests for beds. “We have 40 or 50 bed requests as of now,” Laura shared. Consequently, the chapter is facing a challenge because it needs monetary donations to meet these requests and it also needs volunteers to help build and deliver the beds.
Laura’s passion for Sleep in Heavenly Peace and her dedication to making a difference in the community is apparent in her efforts to get more volunteers and donations as the number of requests continues to grow. To get the help that the chapter needs to fulfill recent requests, Laura took to Facebook on December 28 to spread the word. “It breaks my heart, as we have a total of eight beds and 42 children in need,” she said in her post before announcing that due to the overwhelming amount of requests, the chapter had to temporarily stop taking new applications. She announced that volunteers are needed for an upcoming bed-building event that the chapter will hold in February, which she hopes will be successful at fulfilling the recent bed requests.
To meet the needs of children in the community, the Lock Haven Sleep in Heavenly Peace Chapter is holding a Community Bed Build event on Saturday, February 10 from 9:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. at SA Piper Logistics located at 820 E. Bald Eagle Street in Lock Haven. “We need about 20 people to sign up to help us meet the requests we’ve gotten,” she said. “We will attempt to build at least 40 beds.”
In her Facebook post, she emphasized how important the Community Bed Build event is, stating, “February 10 needs to be a very productive build to just catch up to our current need. We have tons of bedding, but folks, we really need money for lumber, hardware, mattresses, and most of all, HUMAN RESOURCES. I will stay and work as long as it takes. Come help.”
Laura mentioned that the individuals working to fulfill bed requests, including herself, are all volunteers. “The beds are coming and we’re working hard, but we’re all volunteers,” she said.
The organization relies on monetary donations to fund its work, with most building materials being purchased at Lowe’s in Mill Hall and accompanying mattresses purchased at Walmart. “Lowe’s has worked closely with us throughout the development of the program here,” Laura shared. The company has offered two grants per year to the Lock Haven Chapter, and they’ve also provided grant money to purchase the tools needed to build beds.
The Lock Haven Chapter collaborates with multiple local non-profit organizations, community partners, and businesses to identify families in need and to recruit volunteers for their projects. A few of these partners include the Clinton County Women’s Center, Inc. (Roads to Peace), Clinton County Child and Youth Services, Clinton County Housing Coalition, Citizens Hose Company No.5, and the Clinton County Kiwanis Club. “We’ve worked with Keystone Central School District, the Harley Club, the Rotary Club, CU-Lock Haven University, The Renovo Area Heritage Park in Renovo, and Walmart and Lowe’s in Mill Hall,” she said. The Clinton County Probation office is also a valuable partner as they refer individuals in need of community service hours to the Lock Haven chapter, where they can assist with building or delivering beds and log their hours in the process. Additionally, high school seniors working on senior projects are encouraged to join the initiative.
Moving forward, Laura hopes to expand the Lock Haven Chapter and also see more Chapters become established in Pennsylvania. “There are only two or three chapters in PA, and there are places outside of our territory that need help” she said. “But we need truck drivers and delivery teams to serve them,” she said.
With the support of volunteers and donations, the Lock Haven Chapter can continue to fulfill its mission and provide a safe, comfortable place for children to sleep. Those looking to support Sleep in Heavenly Peace can make monetary donations through the organization’s website or the “Sleep in Heavenly Peace – PA, Lock Haven” Facebook page.
Volunteers are still needed to help build and deliver beds as well as move lumber and other materials. To get involved, make a donation, or to sign up to volunteer for the Community Bed Build on Saturday, February 10, visit the “Sleep in Heavenly Peace – PA, Lock Haven” Facebook page or visit the website:
https://www.facebook.com/SHPLockHaven/
www.Shpbeds.org/chapter/PA-LOCK-HAVEN
Email: laura.orndorf@shpbeds.org
