Scott Foster and his wife Lisa Foster are Co-Presidents of the Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Missouri - Kansas City SE Chapter. QTS holds annual bed build and delivery events. We caught up with Scott to ask him a few questions about the work he and his wife are so passionate about.
Tell us about the mission and vision of your organization.
The mission of Sleep in Heavenly Peace is to see that “NO KID SLEEPS ON THE FLOOR IN OUR TOWN!” We strive to see that every child in our community has a safe place to get a good night’s rest. Studies have shown that adequate rest is necessary for children to properly develop physically, academically, socially, and mentally. Our goal is to see that every child has the best opportunity to succeed in school and in their future.
What inspired the creation of your nonprofit organization, and how has it evolved since then?
In 2012 our founder, Luke Mickelson, learned of a family needing beds for their children in Twin Falls, ID. He took it upon himself to build beds for this family with a group of young men from his church. This became an annual event around Christmastime to build beds for families in need. Over the next six years this expanded to six more cities through Luke’s friends. In 2018 the small nonprofit was showcased on a Facebook show called “Returning the Favor.” Since 2018 our organization has grown to over 370 chapters across the country. In total the organization has built over 200,000 beds for children in need.
How does your organization collaborate with the local community to achieve its goals?
Our organization is founded and dependent on community involvement. We rely on community partners like QTS to fulfill our mission. We collaborate with many businesses, churches, and social organizations to raise funds and identify volunteers to build and deliver our beds. Our beds are built during Build Day events where we lead upwards to 100 volunteers through an assembly line process to build the headboards and siderails for our beds. This is the perfect opportunity for people of all ages and skill levels to serve and give back to the community. Once the pieces are built, we store them until delivery dates are scheduled. On delivery days we invite community volunteers to join us as we visit the children’s homes and assemble their beds in their rooms. During the deliveries each child receives a new mattress and bedding which the volunteers place on their new bed allowing the kids the opportunity to try out their beds before we even leave the home. When the families are home during our bed delivery and setup, we encourage volunteers to engage with the families, allowing them to help assemble their beds and make them while showing them love and compassion.
Our chapter collaborates with many other nonprofits, churches, hospitals, and schools to identify kids in need. This partnership provides a needed resource allowing them to focus on their mission. Our beds help meet a need for child placement through fostering and adoption. They provide a safe and clean place for children returning home from the hospital after a traumatic event and restore some normalcy for children fleeing a domestic violence situation.
What are some ongoing challenges your organization faces, and how do you address them?
Our biggest challenge is keeping up with the need. As a relatively new organization, serving a need that hasn’t been overly acknowledged or recognized until now, demand far exceeds funding. Those in need are finding us at a much faster rate than sponsors. Raising awareness, educating people on the amount of the need and the necessity of a bed is our key focus. Our founder coined the phrase “childhood bedlessness is not a real word but it is a real problem.” In a country where most of us take a bed for granted, we need to educate people on the importance of a bed and what it means to a child’s development.
As a proud partner, QTS is always excited to support your mission with our time, talent, and treasure. Can you describe any upcoming events or programs where community members can get involved in or support your organization’s work?
With chapters across the country, we encourage people to find a local chapter to get involved with. Most chapters share their events on Facebook. You can find your local chapter on our website www.shpbeds.org.
QTS sponsored and hosted a Build Day Event at its Overland Park office in Kansas City on June 21st, 2024.
Could you share some recent success stories or impactful projects/initiatives your organization has undertaken?
Every bed built and every bed delivered is a success. One of the biggest struggles for many of the agencies we serve is placing multiple siblings in one home. Many times, it’s because the fostering family can’t afford the beds for all the siblings. This was the case for eight children. Because we were able to provide the beds needed, these eight kids were allowed to be placed together in one home, giving them the peace they needed and the ability to comfort each other as they dealt with the tragic loss of a parent.
What does the future look like for your organization?
Sleep in Heavenly Peace continues to grow rapidly nationally and locally. As awareness grows for this underserved need, more and more people and companies are getting involved. Nationally, we train 10 to 15 new chapters per quarter. Locally, we continue to see a tremendous increase in volunteers and sponsors. It’s all about making people aware of this need that’s hidden behind four walls and a locked door. We have several great partners, like QTS, spreading the word throughout their companies and industries. Every time our mission is shared, we grow.
