MAHOMET, Ill. (WCIA) — It was not an ordinary Monday morning at Mahomet-Seymour Junior High School. Usually, many people feel drained after the weekend, but this week, the school’s sixth graders, alongside the organization Sleep in Heavenly Peace, arrived eager and ready to contribute.
“I wanted my sixth grade scientists to gain hands-on experience using power tools, while also giving back to the community,” said science teacher Jennifer Smith.
Smith received a grant from the Illinois Education Association Foundation, which provided $1,000 to fund one of their grant initiatives. She decided to organize a bed-building day to assist children in need, ranging from ages three to 17.
“Sometimes junior high kids get discouraged because they don’t feel like they can help or do things and so this is an opportunity for them to see that they can do things and to show the community that they’re willing to help and they want to help,” Smith said. “And they are more than capable.”
On Monday, everyone was helping out. Smith said at first their goal was to build 10 beds but they later changed it to 30.
“I just want to help kids have a bed and a safe place to sleep,” sixth grade student Winnie Shores said.
Shores said she enjoys donating her time to help people in need. With several different Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapters around the state, Shores said her goal is making sure no one has to sleep on the floor again.
“It made me feel like mad because no one should have to sleep on the floor. Because that might make them feel like, lower than other people. And they shouldn’t feel that,” Shores said.
According to Sleep in Heavenly Peace, right now more than 160,000 kids between the ages of three to 17 throughout the country are in need of a bed. If you are in need of a bed, or if you know someone who’s in need, click here.
