By Jordan Allen, CEO, Sleep in Heavenly Peace
Fourteen years ago, Sleep in Heavenly Peace began as nothing more than a fun Christmas project in my friend Luke Mickelson’s garage. It was a chance to build something with my hands, connect with a close friend, and spend quality time with family.
Then came our very first delivery.
The moment we carried that bed into a home and set it up, everything shifted. What started as a modest weekend project transformed into a mission-driven purpose that rewired how I view the world. As SHP celebrates its 400,000th bed delivered, I’ve been reflecting on the journey. Behind every single one of those beds is a lesson, and four fundamental truths stand out above the rest.
1. Charity is an Action of Love, Not a Tax Status
I thought I understood charity before SHP, but I only understood the mechanics of it. I saw it as an organizational category—an IRS tax designation.
True charity isn’t a status; it’s kindness in action. It is showing up for people simply because they need love. Over the past 14 years, I have watched SHP volunteers give up their time, money, energy, and comfort purely out of compassion for children they have never met. Watching people sacrifice for others with no expectation of recognition or reward has shown me the purest, most genuine form of love there is. Their example permanently raised my standard for what it means to care for my neighbors.
2. Volunteerism is a Privilege, Not a Right
Not everyone serves for the “right” reasons. When people treat volunteerism as a right, they often approach it looking for a return on their investment—accolades, attention, or a spotlight on their own generosity. Their focus remains on themselves.
When you treat service as a privilege, your intentions change completely. You aren’t serving to be seen; you are serving because a child needs a place to sleep. Volunteers who view service as a privilege put the mission first. They push through early mornings, hot days, clingy sawdust, physical fatigue, and difficult logistics because they know the real dividend is the knowledge that a life will be changed. They don’t need a plaque; knowing a child is off the floor is enough.
3. Innovation Thrives When You Give Passion an Outlet
SHP didn’t reach 400,000 beds by sticking rigidly to a single person’s way of doing things. While our finished beds must always meet the same high standards of quality and safety, the path to get there from chapter to chapter leaves room for creativity.
People possess incredible ingenuity, but they need an outlet to share it. When we began actively encouraging innovation across our chapters, our growth exploded. When volunteers have a hand in refining a process, building a better jig, or streamlining a delivery line, they take true ownership of the outcome. SHP expanded because we gave passionate people the freedom to make the mission better.
4. Service is One of Life’s Greatest Healers
We live in a world that encourages us to turn inward when things get tough. I am no exception—I’ve hosted my fair share of pity parties on days when energy is low, stress is high, or physical health isn’t where I want it to be.
Yet, across 14 years, I have seen service work miracles. I’ve watched volunteers struggling with physical health or mental wellness find genuine improvement and renewal by showing up to build beds alongside others who care. I have experienced that exact same healing myself. When motivation is low and I am focused on my own comforts, the absolute best remedy is to forget myself and go build or deliver a bed. Working side-by-side with family and friends for something bigger than yourself cures what ails you faster than almost anything else.
I don’t know where my life would be today if I was not involved with SHP. But 400,000 beds later, I know my life is richer, my perspective is grounded, and my heart is fuller because of this mission and the extraordinary community of volunteers who build it every day.
Here’s to the next bed, the next child, and the next lesson.