Weers forms local chapter of ‘Sleep in Heavenly Peace’

     Sleep in Heavenly Peace is pleased to announce that Heather Weers of Anamosa is forming a chapter of the organization to provide beds and bedding to ensure that every child in Jones County has a bed to sleep in.

     Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) has grown a lot in just the last year. At the beginning of 2017 there were only two chapters. There are now 137 chapters. They are currently a 100 percent volunteer board and staff.

     Jordan Allen, chairman of SHP shared: “According to the National Sleep Foundation’s webpage, whether a child gets an adequate amount of sleep has a direct impact to their overall physical and mental development. The site goes on to list all the health benefits tied to sleep and the absolute necessity for a child to maintain good, consistent sleep habits. Specifically, the site mentioned that maintaining a regular sleep schedule, having a relaxing bedtime routine that ends in the room where the child sleeps, and sleeping in the same cool, dark, quiet, TV-free environment every night would help curve mood swings, behavioral problems, and cognitive issues that impact their ability to learn in school.

     “It was eye opening to me, both as a father and as a dedicated member of the charity Sleep in Heavenly Peace, that the environment a child sleeps in can have such a lasting impact on his/her overall physical mental health. Though having a bed wasn’t specifically mentioned, I know what the conditions look like when a child doesn’t have a bed, and those conditions never foster the healthy sleep environment mentioned on the National Sleep Foundation’s site.”

     The startup phase includes travelling to Twin Falls, Idaho, in March for a weekend of training, raising approximately $7,500 in capital to purchase tools, materials, and to start the building process. Every bed that is built for a child is built with love and comes with a sturdy and safe frame, a new mattress, a new pillow, new sheets, and either a comforter or handmade quilt. There is no cost for the labor to build the beds, as that is done by volunteers. For the “builds,” volunteers from area companies, churches, school organizations, and anyone who wants to be involved will gather to construct the bunk beds.

     As a new chapter, Weers is fundraising through the SHP national office until the processes are in place. One hundred percent of properly designated donations for Jones County will be reserved for this chapter’s use. Anyone interested can send a check made out to “Sleep in Heavenly Peace” with “Heather Weers” (only the name of the chapter president) in the memo/for section. Mail the check to: Sleep in Heavenly Peace, P.O. Box 116, Kimberly, ID 83341.

     If you would like to make an in-kind donation, or to request a presentation to your organization, contact Heather Weers at 319-480-8684 or at hnweers62@yahoo.com.