On Saturday, September 7, 2024, the Rochester Elks hosted a “Sleep in Heavenly Peace Build Day.” Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) is a nationwide, volunteer-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to building and delivering handmade, fully furnished beds to children in need. SHP’s mission is to provide free beds to children who don’t have one. The organization estimates that nearly 3% of children in the U.S. do not have their own real bed.

With seven Rochester Elk members and 30 additional volunteers assisting with the setup, manufacturing, and cleanup involved in the bed-building process. The work took place in the Elks parking lot, located at 295 Columbus Avenue in Rochester. Volunteers built 35 twin-sized bed kits for children in the Lilac City community who currently do not have one. The beds were constructed from scratch using materials and instructions provided by Sleep in Heavenly Peace representatives.

If you or your group are interested in volunteering for a “Build Day” or want more information about the program, please visit https://shpbeds.org/chapter/nh-rochester.

The Rochester Elks Lodge #1393 has nearly 1,000 members and is involved in various initiatives, including scholarships, Americanism and patriotic programs, veterans’ activities, youth programs, drug awareness programs for youth, and community-based projects in the Rochester area. To learn more, visit: www.elks.org.

Picture Caption: Volunteers for the SHP “Build Day” pose for a group photo.