A record day for the Community Bed Build
As the month of May drew to a close, Nye County Sleep in Heavenly Peace hosted another Community Bed Build and once again it was a record-setting day, with more beds constructed than at any other previous local building event.
Held Saturday, May 30, the Community Bed Build kicked off bright and early, with a 7:30 a.m. start to help beat the heat.
Upon arrival, large banner-like signs were in place at each side of the driveway leading to the area where the building was taking place, making it easy for volunteers to find the location.
Greeters welcomed everyone and then helped them find a task to undertake. The venue was buzzing with the sounds of saws, drills, sanders and people talking and laughing as they transformed raw lumber into brand new, sturdy bed frames, each of which will be fitted out with a new mattress, pillow and bedding before they are delivered directly to the homes of youth who need them.
“We’re hoping to do 40 beds today, because that’s what we have enough wood for,” Nye County Sleep in Heavenly Peace President Carmen Murzyn told the Pahrump Valley Times as the event was underway that morning. “So that’s our goal – 40 – and we’ll see what we can get done!”
Inside the barn, which is graciously donated by Sharon Tate and Mike Bennett for each build event, there were several people hard at work prepping the lumber with various carpentry tools, creating the holes that would later be used to attach the pieces together.
Outside behind the barn, there were several pop-up shade tents erected to provide additional space for the day’s construction activities and the tables were laden with pieces of wood being sanded to a smooth finish. Once sanded, the pieces were given a thorough wipe down with a wet cloth to remove any clinging dust before heading to the staining station.
“This stain is so cool,” Kathleen O’Connor remarked as fellow volunteer Kim Wanker, one of Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s most staunch supporters, was dipping long pieces of lumber at the staining station. “It’s actually steel wool and vinegar that makes the stain.”
“It’s natural, it’s nontoxic,” Murzyn added. “It takes a lot of vinegar and a lot of steel wool and usually, the longer you let it sit, the darker it becomes. But I’ve sometimes even had the wood come out a kind of vanilla color!”
Nichole Walters was also on hand to help organize the volunteers and keep things moving and she was clearly pleased with the morning’s turnout. “There are so many helpers, it’s awesome,” she raved as she snapped photos to memorialize the event for the group’s social media.
As for how the event went overall, Nye County Sleep in Heavenly Peace Treasurer Michelle Caird said she was very happy at the successful result.
“The bed build went great,” Caird told the Times after all of the sawing and sanding had come to a close. “We had 40 volunteers come out and the weather was perfect. We built 40 beds in total.”
Caird went on to note that a safe, comfortable place to sleep is something that every child should have, because sleep is imperative to a growing child.
“Sleep is crucial for kids because it directly fuels their physical, mental and emotional development. Getting enough rest helps their bodies heal, strengthens their immune systems and is directly linked to better learning, memory consolidation and emotional regulation,” Caird said, adding, “I have been with the Nye County chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace because I believe in the mission that no kid sleeps on the floor, but more important to me is working side by side with Carmen, who is an inspiration and an incredible leader.”
The Nye County Sleep in Heavenly Peace team offered its thanks to all of the volunteers who turned out, the participants from Drug Court who volunteered, Jimmy Johns for the subs and chips that helped keep volunteers fueled, the media for covering the event and to Sharon Tate and Mike Bennett for their generous offer of their barn for the building site.
“This is a small thing for us but a large thing for the kids we help,” Nye County Sleep in Heavenly Peace Bed Delivery Manager Steve Filarowski said in a social media post following the event.
The next big event for Nye County Sleep in Heavenly Peace will be the Bunks Across America National Bed Build Day, which takes place in September, followed by their Christmas dinner fundraiser in December. Donations, both in the form of money and bedding, mattresses and pillows, are always welcome and greatly appreciated.
For more information on the local chapter, contact Murzyn at 775-910-8921, Filarowski at 775-764-8726 or build manager Jim Murzyn at 714-930-6580.
For more on Sleep in Heavenly Peace, visit SHPBeds.org
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
