Local group aims to give kids in need a restful night with free beds
The Windsor chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace has built over 600 beds for those in need
Over the last three years, the Windsor chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace has provided hundreds of children in need with beds.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace is an international charity aimed at making sure children have a bed to sleep in. It has 380 chapters in the United States and 10 chapters in Canada.
Brian Cyncora is the president and one of the founders of the Windsor chapter — currently the only one in Ontario.
Cyncora spoke with CBC's Windsor Morning about the organization's mission.
"Three per cent of all people in a community consists of children who are bedless and that is a significant number. Child bedlessness is a real chronic issue everywhere," he said.
Since starting the Windsor chapter, Cyncora and his team of volunteers have built 601 beds. In terms of eligibility, he encourages families with kids between the ages of three and 17 years old to apply.
"We've delivered 569 beds to the children in our community and that bed is probably worth $450 because they not only get one of our hand-built beds, they also get sheets, pillows and a mattress."
The team at Sleep in Heavenly Peace doesn't just build their beds by themselves. They've collaborated with not only members of their community, but also with the Knights of Columbus.
"Community engagement is one of our principles and we have regular bed building events where the people come out and support us and build beds alongside our team," he said.
This is also where the Knights of Columbus in Quebec comes into the picture. The organization held its annual global convention there recently.
"Our journey to Quebec was simply about us presenting Sleep in Heavenly Peace to the leaders of the Knights of Columbus," Cyncora said.
"They had a conference there and our team was tasked with bringing 1,400 boards to the conference so that the leadership from the Knights of Columbus could build 200 headboards."
After preparing for close to two months, Cyncora and his team loaded up a 26-foot (7.9 metre) truck and drove up to Quebec City.
Cyncora says the society got wind of Sleep in Heavenly Peace and wanted to partner up to not only expand its footprint, but also to help build beds.
"We went to Quebec City, set up a booth there, and we were supposed to be building headboards for four days, but it was more like two and a quarter days. The enthusiasm was so significant," he said.
Reg Campbell is the grand knight of the Harrow Knights of Columbus. He says the knights are based on the principles of "charity, unity and fraternity."
"It makes me proud to be a Knight of Columbus and proud to be involved with this organization, knowing we're helping children have a place to sleep. What else can you say? That's what it's all about. It's charity," said Campbell.
'This isn't new'
Whether it stems from poverty or a difficult living situation, Cyncora says children not having a bed has always been an issue.
"The reality is children are sleeping on the floor and in less than ideal situations, certainly they are not sleeping in beds."
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