Massachusetts is home to a group of charities that are working together to provide thousands of beds for children in need.
It all started in 2013 when a public school teacher in Western Massachusetts noticed that her students were consistently tired, unfocused, and absent.Many of them were from low-income areas and when confronted they admitted that their poor academic performance was due to the fact that they didn’t have a suitable place for sleeping.. So, she reached out to theMassachusetts Coalition for the Homeless for help – and she got it.
The Coalition worked with the teacher to launch a new charitable initiative called A Bed for Every Child which aimed to do exactly that – provide every child in need with a bed of their own, starting with her students. The non-profit organization had already been serving the homeless of Massachusetts for years, but A Bed for Every Child was designed specifically for children.
Robyn Frost, executive director of Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, said that the initiative received immediate support from schools districts across the state, especially in Western Massachusetts. The Coalition continues to work year-round to spread word about A Bed For Every Child.and has since provided nearly 3,000 young folks with new mattresses, bed frames, sheets, pillows, and stuffed animals.
Frost told me that the Pioneer Valley credit unions have been instrumental to the Coalition, and have raised almost for the cause. For every A Bed for Every Child raises, said Frost, we are able to give a new mattress, bedding, and frame to a child in need. Pioneer Valley has beenraising a lot of financial support for children within the communities they serve.
Frost explained to me that these efforts are beneficial to families not only who are struggling with poverty but also to those who have lost their belongings in fires and refugees whose homes were damaged by Hurricanes Maria and Irma.
BUILDING BETTER SLEEP ONE BED AT A TIME
The Coalition relies on the help of community partners and neighbouring school districts to distribute the remainder.Frost told me that the new beds go to kids ranging in age from 2 to 19 years oldMost of their bedroom items are not purchased by them.
Fortunately, A Bed for Every Child isnt the only charitable initiative working to bring better Zzzs to those in need. There has been an increase in charitable initiatives that provide safe and comfortable places for underserved communities to sleep. Non-profits are increasing their focus on bedding donations. More bed-in-a box brands are donating mattresses and even grad students are joining forces to donate bedroom furniture to shelters.
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I asked Frost about this increased interest in sleep health, and she told me that people are still learning about how important having a bed of ones own really is. While we know that a bed alone will not solve poverty, Frost said that it is possible to give a child the tools and education to help them get good sleep as well as a better education.
