Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a national nonprofit that works with sponsors, volunteers and donors to build beds for children in need. Now, thanks to the hard work of dedicated people, we have a local chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace that’s getting beds to children in the Thurston County and Oakville areas.
Matthew Ballantyne, president of the Puget Sound South Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, started the idea of getting a chapter in our area, but he says it quickly spread with devoted volunteers who saw the benefits.
“The fact is, we know that one in seven children across the U.S. don’t sleep in a bed, and there are many reasons this is a problem,” Matthew shares. “But what people may have a difficult time realizing is that the problem of a child not sleeping in a bed is going to lead to a bigger problem for all of us later, in the way of disability and diminished basic skills.”
Matthew started working on a local chapter in September 2023. More than a year later, in November 2024, they applied for chapter approval with Sleep in Heavenly Peace and were accepted. Then he and Kurt Hodge, Puget Sound South chapter vice president, attended training in Lehi, Utah in June 2025, which marked the launch of the local chapter.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace: Building Beds for Kids
The Puget Sound South chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace had its first bed build event on September 12 – 14, 2025. “We purchased our materials for the Bunks Across America build through a competitive grant process we were a part of,” shares Matthew.
The event happened in the Olympia Lowe’s parking lot. Lowes and REI sponsored the event, with REI donating money to the chapter through their employee-generated fund. Lowe’s is a national sponsor of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. “Our local store will continue to provide us with a place to host community builds, and we look forward to forging that partnership into the region’s best charity event,” he adds.
At the Bed Build events, volunteers take raw lumber and build bed components. Then, those components are stored until they are delivered to approved applicants. “To date, we’ve delivered 29 beds in the community,” shares Matthew. “We have another 36 to provide in October. Our November deliveries are already filling up.”
For next year, they plan on having once-a-month bed builds in the Lowe’s parking lot starting in March and continuing through September. They will also have indoor builds that supplement application needs.
Know a child in need of a bed? You can apply for one on the Puget Sound South Sleep in Heavenly Peace website. They receive applications from families as well as referrals from social services.
Help Children in Need in Thurston County and Beyond
If the above ratio is translated to Thurston County, Matthew says that means there are 7,748 children without beds in our county. “We’re going to do our very best to tackle this critical issue and get our community behind our efforts,” he says.
An all-volunteer organization, Sleep in Heavenly Peace is looking for your help to meet its goals!
“’Child Bedlessness’ as we call it at SHP, is a community problem,” shares Matthew. “And therefore, it requires a community response. We actively fundraise in the community, we use our social media channels to encourage donations from community members, we conduct presentations on our mission, and what our chapter has accomplished in its short time. We do need community financial support in order to continue operating.”
It costs around $300 to make a bed, complete with a mattress, bedding and a pillow. Any amount helps provide a bed for local youth. You can donate on the Puget Sound South Sleep in Heavenly Peace website. In-kind donations of bedding is also needed. They have an Amazon and a Walmart wishlist. Volunteers are needed to help with building and delivery of beds.
Together, we can help Thurston County area children have a bed to dream in.
