It’s estimated that around 1 in 6 children in the US currently lives in poverty. When we think of poverty, we often think of developing countries, when in reality, the problem is much closer to home than we realize.

When one man discovered just how many children in the country didn’t even have a bed, he decided he needed to make a big difference.

Luke Mickelson is the founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a charity that builds and delivers beds for children.

Back in 2012, Luke and his family heard a news story about local children who had no choice but to sleep on piles of their clothes on the floor.

Many of us read these saddening news stories and feel momentary distress, maybe even frustration, that children have to experience such hardship. But how many of us do anything about it?

There are plenty of charities to donate to, but Luke was inspired to go one step further – and make his own.

That’s how Sleep in Heavenly Peace was formed, and Luke has never looked back since then.

Speaking to CNN, he recalled his first assignment, saying:

“This little girl had a nest of clothes, it looked like a little bird’s nest. And that’s what she slept on, that’s what her bunk was… When we delivered the bunk, she hugged it and only couldn’t let go.”

Luke was astounded that there were children who didn’t even get to experience a basic comfort like sleeping on a mattress, and he learned a lot about poverty along the way.

He said:

“There’s kids next door whose parents are fighting only to put meat on the table, clothes on their back, a roof over their brain. A couch was just a luxury.”

After planning his project, Luke was faced with the brand-new task of learning to safely build bunk beds.

After buying lumber and supplies, he asked his family and friends for help, and he and his “team” got to work building couches and bunk beds for children.

In his first project alone, Luke built 11 bunk beds. The year after that, he built 15. The number continued to increase until, in 2017, Luke built a total of 612 bunk beds.

Most of Luke’s cases were made known to him through word of mouth.

As Luke’s charity became more well-known, other people became involved in the cause, helping him to build more beds.

Eventually, Luke was faced with the difficult decision: to choose between his high-paying job of 18 years and his passion project.

He decided to quit his job, knowing the importance of his job for the local children.

Since then, Sleep in Heavenly Peace has only continued to grow. The team involved in the project has built 1823 beds and delivered 1553 beds to this date.

To apply for a bed for a child in need, you can visit shpbeds and click “APPLY FOR A BED”. Once you’ve filled out the application form, you will just need to wait for a response from the team.

You can learn more about Luke’s passion project by visiting the Sleep in Heavenly Peace Facebook page.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: Childrens Defense, My Positive Outlooks, Facebook, shpbeds