Ethan McDonald, Bryce Benton, and Nathan Harbin all share something in common—they love helping others.
They spent a recent Saturday morning at First Presbyterian Church in Douglasville doing just that: building beds for children in foster care.
Through the Sleep in Heavenly Peace initiative, the students helped provide 32 beds to children in need. The volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization is dedicated to ensuring that no child sleeps on the floor. Their mission is to build, assemble and deliver custom-made bunk beds to children in need, providing them with a safe and comfortable place to sleep.
McDonald, Benton, and Harbin all attend First Presbyterian Church, which recently hosted its annual First Presence Work Day. Building the beds was one of three service options volunteers could choose from to serve the community in early August.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace has another work day scheduled on Sept. 13 at 9 a.m. at Lowe's in Douglasville. Volunteers will build twin-size beds for children across the community who are also in need.
Harbin, an eighth grader at Fairplay Middle, along with McDonald and Benton, ninth graders at Alexander High, beamed with pride while helping the nonprofit organization carry out its goal of ensuring children can “sleep well and dream big.”
“What a great example of community service from our students,” said Stephanie Ford, eighth-grade teacher at Fairplay Middle School.