All About Sleep In Heavenly Peace

All children deserve a safe, comfortable place to lay their heads, but that basic need is not met in many households across the Ozarks and United States as a whole. This is why Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a volunteer-driven nonprofit, made it their mission to build and deliver handmade, fully furnished beds to children in need.

Sleep In Heavenly Peace was founded in 2012 and has now grown into a charity spanning 44 states with more than 300 chapters. Currently, Sleep in Heavenly Peace has 18 chapters throughout the state of Missouri, including their Marshfield, Rogersville, Springfield and Table Rock Lake chapters. 

Springfield Chapter President Larry Highfill has led for five years. “I’m really passionate about it,” Highfill says. “I’m a retired firefighter, retired EMS and retired teacher, so you know kids are near and dear to my heart.” Although he plans to pass the torch this year, Highfill says he’ll still partake in their community bed builds and help in any way he can. “Sleep In Heavenly Peace is about taking care of the kids who can’t help themselves,” he says. “We always say it’s all about the kids. It’s all about the kids.” 

The Rogersville chapter extended into the Ozark zip code this year and has been able to deliver more than 30 beds in the last two months to children in need. Rogersville Chapter President Caleb Rodabaugh says they saw an increase in requests after promoting the program throughout local school systems. “We are working to create awareness so that families who might need beds know how to apply,” he says. “As well as making the community aware of a need that exists in our community so businesses and individuals can help.”

To help support Sleep In Heavenly Peace’s mission—“No kid sleeps on the floor in our town”—you can donate new twin-size sheets, pillows and bedding or partake in one of their community bed build events. Participants in the bed build help with sanding, drilling, assembling, staining and branding twin beds in preparing to deliver them to homes with children ages 3–17 in need. Each chapter hosts bed builds at different times; you can find these and more information on their website.