BUCKEYE, AZ — With every slice of a board, every hum of the sander, and every hole drilled into a 2 x 4 - another child is close to getting what most of us take for granted, a bed.
"As citizens in our community, to be able to effect change in a family's life, but specifically in a child's life by bringing people together. It's fun work," said Joe Genovese, president of the Arizona chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP).
Sleep in Heavenly Peace makes and delivers bunk beds for kids who don't have a bed. Parker Fasteners, a manufacturer in Buckeye, arranged the event in the company's parking lot.
"We have plenty of space, plenty of labor, and people with hearts wanting to serve," said Matthew Boyd, from Parker Fasteners.
Eighty people from Parker Fasteners alone, plus and many from the community stepped up in a big way.
The Mayor of Buckeye was proud of his first responders for answering the call.
"They go on calls and they see kids that don't have a bed to sleep in or several siblings that are sharing a bed, so I think this is very real and very important to them to help," said Mayor Eric Orsborn.
It's a never-ending need. Right now SHP has a waitlist of 100 kids.
"We may never catch up and that's ok," said Genovese. "It just means more people are finding out about our service. It gives us more families to meet and engage."
For anyone who applies to receive a bed, they only ask one question... Do you need a bed? If the answer is yes, you're approved.
The group is trying to expand to reach more areas of the Valley. If you're interested in helping, you can go to the Sleep in Heavenly Peace website.