Heidi Kalafat of WJWL make beds for children Sunday in Cortland. Staff photo / Bob Coupland
CORTLAND — Nearly 700 children in the Mahoning Valley do not have a bed to sleep in, so several local organizations joined Sleep in Heavenly Peace on Sunday afternoon to change those statistics.
Travis Leonard, co-president of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Mahoning Chapter, said the number of families with no beds for their children has increased this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused people to lose their jobs.
He said the 700 requests for beds is a main concern for his organization.
Leonard said more than 40 people from the Cortland Lions Club, Women of the Moose and Warren Junior Women’s League, joined members of Sleep in Heavenly Peace to build 24 single beds and 12 bunk beds.
The workers spent the day in a parking lot near the Cortland Lions Club, each
doing an assigned duty to prepare the wood by sanding it, drilling holes and placing brand mark on materials for building beds before they were placed in a U-Haul truck.
Mary Lou Jarett, president of WJWL, said she was shocked there are 700 children’s names on a list who need beds, with many in Mahoning County, which is where the completed beds will be distributed this week.
She said many children have no bed, pillows or blankets. Jarrett said it costs $350 to make a bunk bed and provide a blanket and pillows.
Jarrett said member Melanie Cann mentioned doing the project in the spring, but the coronavirus postponed it to fall.
“We plan to hold another work day next spring which will be strictly for beds for children in Trumbull County. Everyone worked really hard this weekend,” Jarrett said of the three-day event.
Leonard said many groups and organizations reach out to him on how they can help with Build Day events.
“With everything that has been going on this year with COVID, many families are struggling. Even before this, the list we had was already lengthy,” he said.
Leonard said the Mahoning County chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace has been in existence for the past few years, and plans are in place to have chapters in Trumbull and Columbiana counties established to help with the increased need.
Jarrett said the WJWL also provided children’s bedtime books to be presented to the children when they get their new beds. She said the effort is to help promote reading and literacy.
Heidi Kalafat of the WJWL said she has worked in the schools and learned many children do not have beds at home.
“It is hard to believe how many children do not have a bed to rest their head and sleep in,” she said.
To make sure the beds were safe, members of Germ Busters Solutions spent the day disinfecting the wood used for the project and the completed beds.
“We wanted to help out and give back something to the community. As the beds are completed, we disinfect all the parts,” Phil Chance Jr. said.
Molly Halliday with the WJWL said Sleep in Heavenly Peace also was the benefactor of the WJWL’s May / June gift card fundraiser as well as donations from the other organizations to cover costs for building the beds.
bcoupland@tribtoday.com