The 2020 Guardian of the Mission
It began with a startling realization: dozens of children in a small Idaho town fell asleep each night without a bed to call their own. This discovery in 2012 sparked what would become Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), an organization born from the simple belief that every child deserves the comfort and security of a warm bed.
What started as a local mission to help neighbors became an international movement. Today, SHP has grown to 350 chapters, with thousands of dedicated volunteers who have built and delivered more than 250,000 beds to children in need. Yet, as our reach has expanded, so has our understanding of this hidden crisis.
The Numbers Tell a Sobering Story
In major metropolitan areas like Chicago, Detroit, and St. Louis, thousands of families reach out to us for help each year. But the need knows no boundaries—over 7% of our applications come from rural communities with populations of 5,000 or less, proving that child bedlessness affects families everywhere.
Behind these numbers are real families facing real challenges. Our data shows that:
- 62.4% of bed requests come from single-parent households
- 6.1% are from families transitioning from homelessness
- 1.35% are foster families working to provide stable homes
- 82.4% of applicant families earn less than $52,000 annually
These statistics paint a clear picture: child bedlessness often affects those already facing significant life challenges. And while we’ve provided a quarter-million beds, we’ve received over one million bed requests—with millions more children potentially in need across North America.
Our chapters currently serve communities with a combined population of 77 million Americans. However, over 265 million Americans live in areas where SHP has yet to establish a presence. With child bedlessness affecting approximately 2-3 percent of children in communities across America, the math is clear: millions of children still need our help.
We’re calling on you to help us bridge this gap. Our volunteer-driven chapters have proven that we can make a real difference, but we must expand our reach.
Establish a new chapter in an unserved or underserved community
Your in-kind gifts and monetary donations provide materials for new beds
Help us build or deliver beds and make a lasting community impact
Sponsorships help chapters grow in order to serve more children
Your voice and passion for helping kids can raise awareness about our mission
Every child deserves a good night’s sleep—a chance to dream big and wake up ready to achieve those dreams. Together, we can work toward our vision of NO CHILD SLEEPS ON THE FLOOR IN OUR TOWN!
Will you join us in making this vision a reality? Click HERE to learn how to start a chapter to ensure every child in your town has a bed to call their own.
When we come together to serve our neighbors in need, we do more than build beds—we build strong communities and hope, lifting one child off the floor at a time.