A group of U-Haul® volunteers recently spent a Saturday morning at the Sleep in Heavenly Peace workshop in Phoenix to help fulfill the nonprofit’s mission: “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town!”
Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) Phoenix has been serving the needs of children for more than seven years. It is one of the organization’s 400 chapters across the U.S.
Joining several other groups seeking to give back to their community, U-Haul co-sponsored the event and made a $5,000 contribution to help fund 185 beds made that day.
Team U-Haul, along with more than 50 other volunteers, sawed, sanded, stained, drilled, and branded, with each step playing an important part in the assembly process. Thanks to hard work and dedication, 185 kids will soon have a safe and comfortable place to sleep.
“Volunteering at Sleep in Heavenly Peace was a true testament to how dedicated members of the local community are driven to provide the best support for children and families in need,” said Jay Harris, manager of U-Haul Digital Assets.
“Working together with my fellow Team Members and local residents to ensure each child has a bed to sleep in was an opportunity that fills me with gratitude, and it is an opportunity that I will undoubtedly dedicate my service to again.”
In addition to co-sponsoring and volunteering at the recent “bed build,” U-Haul has been donating rental equipment to help SHP distribute beds to families in need across the Valley. Each bed is delivered with a mattress, sheets, pillows, and a stuffed animal.
U-Haul is hosting a stuffed animal drive June 8-15 on its Midtown campus with three collection points: the Shoen Family Conference and Fitness Center; the U-Haul Tower lobby at 20 E. Thomas; and 1 North next to Anna Mary’s Cafe. New small and mid-sized stuffed toys are appreciated and will be distributed by SHP to the at-risk children receiving beds.
“To everyone who volunteered at our bed build, thank you,” said Ginny Alexander, SHP Communication and Volunteer Manager. “Because of generous supporters like U-Haul, SHP Phoenix has provided more than 13,000 beds to children in need since Fall 2018.
“We’re committed to ensuring every child has a safe, comfortable place to sleep, and we’re grateful to partner with people who share that belief. With almost 2000 children on our waitlist, we still have a lot of work to do.”
U-Haul International has been headquartered in Phoenix since 1967. The industry leader in do-it-yourself moving and self-storage has a longstanding commitment to supporting local and national charity partners that help people meet their most basic human needs (food, clothing and shelter). U-Haul also utilizes a portion of its community funds to assist nonprofits that honor and support veterans.
To learn more about SHP’s operation and how you can help, visit shpbeds.org.
