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What would compel a successful executive to walk away from his career to build beds for children? For Luke Mickelson, it was the shocking discovery that kids in his community were sleeping on the floor. That realization sparked a mission that has since transformed into Sleep in Heavenly Peace, now the world's largest bed-building charity with 400+ chapters across four countries.
Luke's journey began in 2012 when he learned about a family whose children had no beds. What started as a simple project with his Boy Scout troop quickly revealed a widespread, silent epidemic. More than 7 million American children don't have proper beds, affecting their health, education, and self-esteem. "I tell people it's kind of shocking that child bedlessness is even a thing," Luke shares, "but it represents greater than 3% of the total population."
The emotional heart of Luke's mission crystallized when he delivered a bed to a little girl named Haley, who had been sleeping on a pile of clothes in an empty house. "She started hugging us and hugging the bed and kissing the bed," Luke recalls. Watching her mother's tears of relief cemented his determination: "No kid's gonna sleep on the floor in my town if I have anything to do with it."
What makes Sleep in Heavenly Peace remarkable isn't just the number of beds they've built—over 300,000 since 2018—but their community-based approach. Each chapter operates locally, with 90% of donations staying in the community where they're received. Volunteers experience profound satisfaction from both building beds (what Luke calls "the happiest volunteer is the sweatiest and dustiest") and delivering them to children whose lives are transformed by this simple necessity.
The ripple effects extend beyond better sleep. Children gain confidence, improve academically, and feel worthy of friendship and connection. "These kids don't have blankets sometimes to put over their heads to hide from the monster in the closet," Luke explains, highlighting how a bed represents security that many take for granted.
Ready to make a difference? Visit shpbeds.org to find your local chapter, volunteer, donate, or even start a chapter in your community. As Luke learned firsthand, "True joy is found in serving others. When you stop looking at yourself and start seeing how you can help other people, your problems don't go away, but they just don't seem as heavy."