Floors are good for walking on and dancing on … They aren’t much fun to sleep on every night.
The “Sweet Dreams Bed Program” was launched in 1995 in response to requests from Vincentian volunteers who recognized during home visits that families were in need of more than food or utility assistance. The Society decided to begin Sweet Dreams Bed Program to provide clean, new beds or cribs to clients without adequate sleeping provisions or the financial resources to buy them.
We all know how difficult it is to work or study without a good night’s sleep. Studies show that a child will focus better in school when they are well rested, and the same goes for working adults. To be at our most productive, we need a good night’s sleep. In addition, babies need a safe bed of their own, rather than sharing a bed with parents or siblings who might accidentally harm them.
The reasons that people have no beds, or not enough beds varies, but we’ve found that the most common reasons are flight from domestic violence a fire or flood and no insurance to replace property new employment relocation and no funds to move household items poverty and relatives, usually grandparents who take custody of children when parents are sick, incarcerated, or otherwise unable to care for their children.
Each need is verified by a home visit with two Vincentian volunteers, during which time the volunteers access the holistic needs of the family, not just what they’re requesting assistance for. What usually occurs is the family is visited because they are requesting assistance with their mortgage or utilities and during the home visit the Vincentian volunteers observe that there is no furniture or food in the house and if approved they are able to help with those needs as well as the initial request.
Our “Sweet Dreams” Bed Program provides clean, new beds to each member of a family in need. Your contribution can help us keep children and their families in warn, safe beds, so they have one less worry at night.
