AUSTINTOWN — Members of Redeemer Lutheran Church and community members spent a day building bunk beds for local children who often have to sleep on piles of clothes on the floor.

Laurie Avey of Girard and Sandy Hintz of Austintown, members of the church who coordinated the effort with Sleep In Heavenly Peace, said 11 bunk beds were built in the parking lot by 70 people, and 30 hygiene kits were prepared inside the church by 12 people for local children.

“We wanted to find a project to be involved in the community and help the underserved. Our ladies aid group has already worked with Sleep In Heavenly Peace last year, taking the proceeds from the rummage sale and giving it to them. We felt what they do is a worthwhile project. They built the beds, and we made more hygiene kits since they go through them so quickly,” Avey said.

Jeff Watkins of Youngstown and Travis Leonard of Austintown, co-chairmen of the local chapter of Sleep In Heavenly Peace, said they have delivered beds to local families where there is nothing inside the houses but a chair and television.

“One boy whose mother passed away had been staying with an aunt. We gave him a bed and a care package. He had not had any towels and had to drip dry for a year,” Watkins said.

He said all donations stay in the area.

“It is comforting to know we are making a difference. You walk into a home and see a pile of dirty clothes on the floor and know that is where a child was sleeping,” Watkins said.

He said one girl climbed into her new bed and cried.

The hygiene kits have bath towels, toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo and other hygiene items children need. Hintz said Sleep In Heavenly Peace will deliver the beds.

“Their motto is No Children Sleep on the Floor in Our Town,” she said.

The church organized and sponsored the event in conjunction with Thrivent Action Team.

Avey said the bunk beds can be disassembled and placed in a room either as single beds or bunk beds based on available space.

“People were very willing to support the effort. There were many people from churches in North Lima and New Middletown who came to help. People were lined up early to help prepare the wood to build,” Hintz said.

Sue Ann Taylor of Austintown, a church member, said one couple who helped build was from Alaska and stopped on their way to Florida.

“We had many people helping us out from so many communities,” Taylor said.

After building the beds, they were loaded onto trucks.

The church will hold a bazaar Oct. 4 and 5 with proceeds going to Sleep In Heavenly Peace.

“We want to help serve the underserved and change the lives of people. Everyone had so much fun working together,” Avey said.

The organization began in 2012 in Idaho with the local chapter starting in February 2018. The chapters have gone from seven to 200 nationwide.

Watkins said they are also looking for people or groups to help sponsor the bed making.

“With so many people helping we had the 11 bunk beds done in two hours,” he said.

For information, visit jeff.watkins@shpbeds.org or on Facebook at shpyoungstown.

bcoupland@tribtoday.com