It was back in 2012 when an Idaho man founded Sleep in Heavenly Peace after realizing that children in his town were sleeping on the floor. By the end of 2024, Luke Mickelson’s nonprofit had expanded into 47 states and four different countries. The Hill Country Chapter, which was founded in 2022, is one of more than 300 SHP chapters and it now includes Blanco County in its service area.
“We realized there was need in Blanco because of the inquiries we received from residents,” said Chapter President Jeff Matera with the SHP Hill Country Chapter. He answered questions from the News in an email this week. “Our organization recognizes that about 2 to 3% of the population need beds for kids. We’re trying to get the word out about free beds for kids ages 3 to 17. We’d love to partner with a church, civic organization or a business.” The organization runs on volunteer power, with the last “Bed Build” held on May 10 in Marble Falls.
“Our next major event will be in the fall due to the heat,” Matera said. “If we run short on beds, we can schedule an event with our list of volunteers. We have plenty of beds that need homes now. We deliver and set them up. Our beds come complete with a mattress, pillows, sheets and a bedspread. We offer a single twin bed and we can put two beds together to make a bunk bed.”
