Nye County Sleep in Heavenly Peace is now better off thanks to a second donation from The Source dispensary’s Round Up program.
To commemorate the donation, a formal presentation was held Friday, March 15 at the Pahrump dispensary, where The Source Front of House Manager Christina Bunker was eagerly awaiting the chance to hand over the check to local Sleep in Heavenly Peace leaders.
“We love working with our local charities,” Bunker told the Pahrump Valley Times that morning. “We’ve worked with Sleep in Heavenly Peace before, we really support what they do and we know that costs for supplies are pretty high so we are excited to be able to present them with another donation. At The Source, that’s really important for us. When we come into a community, we try to help that community out however we can and just really become a part of it.”
Under the Round Up program, every purchase made at The Source offers patrons the opportunity to round-up their total to the nearest dollar. The change then goes directly to the one or two specific nonprofits selected for that month, with different locations championing different causes. Customers can also make donations of a flat amount if they wish.
Bunker detailed that the Sleep in Heavenly Peace donation totaling $3,576.74 came from the proceeds of January’s Round Up efforts at both the Pahrump and Reno locations.
For those who may not be familiar with the nonprofit, Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a national organization dedicated to providing beds for children who do not have them. Its mission is to ensure no child must sleep on a couch, air mattress or even the floor. To do this, the volunteer-led chapters all across America build bed frames and fit them out with brand new mattresses and bedding before delivering them directly to the homes of children in need.
“Studies show that kids who get a good night’s sleep do better in school and have fewer social issues,” Nye County Sleep in Heavenly Peace Treasurer Michelle Caird explained. “And isn’t that what we’re all striving for, for the next generation to do better? If we can help in one little way, by giving them a safe and comfortable bed to get a good night’s sleep in, then that is what we are here for.”
“When we see a little kid who has never had a bed get one of their very own, they get so excited, it just makes your heart melt,” Nye County Sleep in Heavenly Peace Chapter President Carmen Murzyn added. “It’s their own space, their own bed and they don’t have to share it! Their joy really makes it worth it.”
Both ladies were obviously delighted to be receiving another donation from The Source, noting that with the recent increase in bed requests, the money will be quickly put to use.
“We do get our quilts donated and our pillows donated from a group of local ladies, so the hardest thing for us is the mattresses and sheets, as well as the lumber of course. Lowe’s is one of our national sponsors and they generously give nationwide, so we do get money from Lowe’s for the lumber. But with the escalating cost of everything, this donation is really going to help us tremendously,” Caird remarked.
“And the need this year just seems to be higher,” Murzyn said. “I got nine bed requests last week alone compared to our previous average of about two or three a week.”
Nye County Sleep in Heavenly Peace hosted a community bed build this past February and that resulted in two dozen new bed frames but already, all of those have been earmarked for local youngsters. With so many requests still rolling in, Murzyn and her group are now working on a partnership with the local Drug Court program to conduct a bed build utilizing those who need to put in volunteer hours. Following this, in June the group will be working with Nye County Juvenile Probation and students in the STEP program on yet another bed build.
It’s these community partnerships that are really what keeps Sleep in Heavenly Peace going, Caird noted.
“It’s just the community coming together to help and that’s been so great,” Caird stated. “Carmen has done an incredible job as our leader. She has gotten out there, she’s really made it her mission. There would be hundreds of kids still sleeping on the floor if it weren’t for her gathering her team and working with the community on so many levels to get them to come together to help us out.”
“And it’s all about the kids. That’s why we do this, for the kids,” Murzyn concluded.
The nonprofit is always looking for additional help in the form of volunteerism and monetary support. Anyone interested in becoming a member, taking part in a bed build or making a donation can contact Murzyn at 775-910-8921.
Donations can also be made online by visiting SHPBeds.org and searching for the NV-Nye Co chapter.
Nonprofits interested in partnering with The Source for the Round Up program are encouraged to stop by the store at 2370 Homestead Road or call 775-567-3800.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com