The RDI Warehouse in Green Park was filled with the drone of drilling and the smell of sawdust over the weekend of March 14, as over 50 volunteers worked in assembly line fashion. The finished product? Children’s beds.
These volunteers were contributing to Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), a national nonprofit with chapters across the country. The nonprofit aims to provide beds for children in need.
“Everyone always says, ‘I didn’t even know this was a problem,’” communications manager Janet Koth said. “It’s one of the least known problems. Everyone does toy drives or this or that, but there are needs that are so much more basic than that.”
She continued, “There’s a lot of kids that are sleeping on the floor on blankets, or sleeping on couches. That’s not a bed. It’s just really important that these kids get a good night’s sleep, so they can do better in school. And to have a bed, instead of just plopping wherever for a night’s sleep — it’s really important to them. It helps their self-esteem.”
Janet and Kurt Koth — her husband, who also serves as the chapter president — started SHP’s Eureka Chapter last year in June. The chapter serves families in Eureka, House Springs, Valley Park, Fenton, Cedar Hill, High Ridge, Imperial, Dittmer and Barnhart.
“It’s been a really eye-opening experience, for both my husband and I,” Janet said. “(Kurt)’s the one who started it and said, ‘Let’s do this.’ We’re retired. He said, ‘I really want to give back to the community.’ We gathered some friends up, and that’s how it started to grow.”
March 14 was their third “build day” — one took place last summer, and another was in November. At the March build, volunteers built pieces for 35 beds, which will be delivered to families as the need becomes available.
As of the March build day, the Eureka chapter had a waitlist of 10 families who requested beds. The weekend construction will allow them to fill that need, as well as keep a stock of beds for anyone else who might apply in the next couple of months.
“Getting the word out has been our biggest struggle, if I had to say,” Janet said. “It’s been about eight months, and now the word’s starting to spread that we do this, so that’s good. We have 10 people waiting right now, and before we didn’t have any waitlist. So we know that the word is spreading.”
Families in need can apply online at shpbeds.org to request a bed for their child, ages 3-17. From there, the request gets sent to Janet, who calls the family to coordinate and vet them — ensuring the beds go to those who truly need them. Once a bed is ready — built at one of the chapter’s build days — a team brings the pieces of the bed to the family’s home and finishes assembling it there.
Janet has her own tradition. Each bed comes with new pillows, sheets and a comforter, typically chosen to fit the style of a child: printed with car patterns or Disney princesses. Janet lets the child watch their bed be assembled, but when it’s time to put on the bedding, she ushers them out and closes the door.
“I always take the bedding, and I don’t want (the kids) to see it until the very end,” Janet said. “It’s the cutest thing. They get so excited, and everyone takes that for granted.”
The chapter’s next build day is scheduled for May 16. It is currently slated to take place in the church parking lot of The River at Eureka, 215 N. Central Ave.
“You really don’t understand it until you see it,” Janet said. “You know that there are people that are struggling, but to go in there, and to have kids get so excited about something as basic as a bed? It’s really heart-warming. And you feel like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is such an addictive feeling.’ You just want to feel it over and over again. It’s like, ‘This is what community is about.’ It’s about helping out each other.”
