On Saturday, June 12 at First United Methodist Church of Lawrenceville, 40 David Weekley Homes – Atlanta Division team and family members joined Gwinnett County Chapter members of Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) for the nonprofit’s 3rd Annual Bunks Across America event. With 260 chapters across the U.S., Canada, and Bermuda, SHP has a mission to ensure that “No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town.” By rallying volunteers to get hands-on during “build days,” SHP seeks to bring community awareness and a community solution to a problem that impacts what it estimates to be one million children nationwide. During this year’s Bunks Across America event, David Weekley Homes’ volunteers took raw lumber and turned it into beds in an assembly line-style process. The beds built during the event were ready to go into area homes right away – giving 102 children a much-needed place to rest their heads. In addition to 160 volunteer hours, David Weekley Homes’ Atlanta Division donated $7,500 to the nonprofit’s Gwinnett Chapter. Combined with David Weekley’s other divisions throughout the U.S., the national builder has donated $81,000 to Sleep in Heavenly Peace in 2021.
“Sleep in Heavenly Peace and its Bunks Across America Event is perfectly aligned with David Weekley Homes’ community-minded CARE Program,” said Adam Cornett, Atlanta Division president for the national homebuilder. “We pride ourselves in being a leader in volunteer and philanthropic efforts within the home building industry – dedicating more than 6,300 volunteer hours to local causes in the 19 cities where we have division offices nationwide. By uniting with our Team Members and incredible community partners like Sleep in Heavenly Peace, we are improving lives. As the father of three young girls, this particular build project held incredibly special meaning for me, personally – as I know it did with many of the Team Members present on Saturday. It’s hard to believe that there are kids out there who don’t have a bed to sleep in each night.”
Sleep in Heavenly Peace estimates that 2-3% of children in the United States don’t have their own bed. When applying those percentages to United States Census Bureau data, bedlessness could impact more than 7,300 children under 18 in Gwinnett County alone. Medical experts attribute poor sleep as a contributing factor to several health and wellbeing issues including obesity, mood disorders and memory impairment.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to know that there are companies out there – like David Weekley Homes – that are willing to invest their time, money and volunteer hours in Sleep in Heavenly Peace and our Bunks Across America event,” said Brian Buckwalter, Sleep in Heavenly Peace Gwinnett County Chapter President. “By doing so, they’re having an immediate impact on kids in need in the communities where their team members live and work. 102 more kids in Gwinnett County will have a place to sleep because of David Weekley Homes. The need for beds is real in our community, and we’re so grateful that they’re willing to help us fulfill that need.”
To qualify for a bed from SHP, children must be between 3 years old and 17 years old and not currently have a bed. Each child who qualifies receives a bed frame built by local volunteers, a brand-new mattress, new bedding and a new pillow. To request a bed, prospective recipients are encouraged to visit www.shpbeds.org and fill out an application. An SHP representative will then reach out to confirm the need and provide details about the bed delivery. There is no cost or further obligation. For anyone who wishes to donate to the cause or volunteer their time, they are also encouraged to visit www.shpbeds.org.