The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
‘Build day’ quite productive for Bendix volunteers
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems in Elyria hosted its first build day Aug. 27 in collaboration with national nonprofit organization Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
More than 100 volunteers braved the heat in constructing about 40 bunk beds in support of local children in need.
Following the assembly line format, Bendix volunteers and team leaders constructed beds in a series of manufacturing stations, including cutting, sanding, drill press, assembly, finishing
and staining.
The completed components will be loaded into a truck for delivery to area children and families who have been selected by Sleep in Heavenly Peace as recipients.
In connection with the build, Bendix also donated $5,000 to the organization: enough to purchase the materials and furnishings for 20 bunk beds.
The company is sponsoring a donation drive to collect funds or in-kind donations of bedding to furnish other beds, officials said.
And the morning of the build, family members of Bendix employees made fleece blankets for Sleep in Heavenly Peace families and to donate to the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital.
“At Bendix, we want to give back to the community we live in,” said Maria Gutierrez, Bendix’s director of corporate responsibility and sustainability. “I like these types of activities where employees can engage because they can see how their neighbor can benefit somebody else.
“A couple hours of their time can make a huge difference.”
Through its grant and volunteer support to Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Bendix is following through on its commitment to improve and enrich the lives of children and families in need in the areas where Bendix operates, officials said.
Gutierrez noted Bendix previously worked with Habitat for Humanity and its partnership with Sleep in Heavenly Peace is continuing in its mission to serve the community.
Meanwhile, the effort also furthers the company’s mission to support and encourage active social involvement among its employees through leadership and project management.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace Founder Luke Mickelson of Twin Falls, Idaho, was on hand participating in the build for the organization he started in his garage back in 2012.
“Oh, it’s awesome,” Mickelson said. “It’s all about bringing people together for a good cause.”
“… We’re just humans helping humans, and we’ve got a lot of humans out here from all different walks of life, and they’re all here to do one thing, and that’s build beds for kids.”
It all started with a desire to make no sure no child went without a comfortable place to sleep, and Mickelson said he began with a single project for one family with the Boy Scouts of America troop he led and it expanded to Christmas.
“It was such a neat experience for them, but I wanted to have the same experience for my family, because I had kids too right, and I wanted them to feel the joy of service and giving back to the community, and also to help them appreciate what they had,” he said.
With 276 chapters across the country, Sleep in Heavenly Peace has built and donated nearly 85,000 beds and have a goal of constructing 40,000 annually.
As many as three percent of children in the United States need a comfortable and safe place to sleep, according to Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
The organization aims to help solve this problem through volunteer support, donations and bed builds organized across the country.
Chapter President Susie Asadorian thanked Bendix for being a part of the solution and welcomed other organizations to join in.
“This is something, bedlessness, not a word but a problem, a real problem in our country and around here it’s very similar,” Asadorian said. “Of course, you know urban areas a little more.
“There’s a huge need.
And it’s really gratifying to deliver and get these kids into bed where they should be.”
Sleep in Heavenly Peace depends on the support of volunteers, organizations and donations to fund the cost of bed materials, mattresses and bedding.
In addition to supplying all the materials, tools and supplies needed for Build Days, the organization trains volunteers, oversees builds and manages delivery and construction of the completed bed frames and components.