'A community effort'
Nov. 7—Every year, the Creston Chamber of Commerce accepts nominations for volunteer of the year. This year, they broke tradition. Instead of selecting an individual, an entire group earned the title.
For Union County's Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter founder John Walsh, it encapsulates the essence of the group. "It's a community effort; it's not one individual," Walsh said. "But the reality is it isn't just that group. It takes a community of volunteers."
The organization will be honored 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Eagles Club for the Creston Chamber of Commerce annual banquet.
In January 2021, John Walsh had to quarantine for two weeks after his wife tested positive for COVID. During this time, he came across Mike Rowe's video series on Facebook called "Returning the Favor." The project featured individuals giving back to their communities through hard work and selflessness.
Walsh is a high school math teacher at East Union. He considered the kids he teaches and the difference he could make to them. "I thought, I've got kids in my classes sleeping on the floor," Walsh said. "I thought I could do this."
It began with conversations with his colleagues, and it transformed into them forming a Union County chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace — a nationwide organization of volunteers dedicated to building, assembling and delivering top-notch beds to children and families in need.
The organization started in 2012 when a man from Idaho made a bed for someone sleeping on the floor for Christmas and decided to keep making beds.
Union County's organization made its start in March 2021. Since then, the organization has delivered 97 beds to children in need. "To date, we've built 170 beds," Walsh said. "Forty are in Ringgold County and they've already delivered 15 of them."
Hundreds of volunteers have helped to build beds, deliver beds, donate bedding, donate funds, make quilts and more. "I feel honored we were chosen, but it's a reflection of the community being willing to volunteer and help out where there is a need," Walsh said. "We had to get it going and we got it going, but the community had an incredible effort to keep us going."
In addition to his wife, Donna, there are many families who have been involved since the beginning. Steve and Jean Kinyon, Joe and Tammy Ross, Randy and Deb Goerndt, Jim and Rhonda McIntosh and Stacy and April Moore are just a few of the many volunteers.
Walsh said he think the group's mission resonates with the community because we all want kids to be warm and safe at night. "As a parent, we want our kids to be warm at night," he said. "We feel terrible when they find out they aren't, when we find out they're sleeping on the floor or don't have a bed."
Studies done at Harvard University, the National Science Foundation, Auburn University and The Better Sleep Council show:
* In teenagers, anxiety and depression are linked to poor sleeping habits 27% and 69% of the time
* Kids who don't sleep well don't grow as well as their peers
* Kids who get good sleep tend to get sick less frequently
* Plenty of sleep usually translates to better grades, improved emotional health, and a healthier home life
"Three percent of your population is sleeping on the floor," Walsh said. "When we come to their house, we give then everything. From the ground up, everything is brand new."
Families can apply for a bed for children aged 3-17 who are sleeping on the floor, a couch, co-sleeping or have a different uncomfortable sleep situation at https://shpbeds.org/apply/ or call 641-344-2477.
While Walsh doesn't see the need for beds going anywhere anytime soon, he said the group will work tirelessly to see that day come to fruition.
