A Good Nights Sleep
One of the most profound images that volunteers say stay in their mind for days after helping with a move-in is the sight of a small pile of blankets in the corner of an empty room, knowing that those blankets and a cold floor are the only comfort the children of the household have to sleep on each night. No bed, no pillow, no soft surroundings.
Sleep is no less important than food, drink, or safety in the lives of children. A good night's sleep helps children grow and develop properly. It affects temperament, learning and social behavior. For adults, a good night's sleep helps recharge the brain and body. It keeps us awake and alert during the day so we can function at an optimal level.
I am sure many of us have experienced days where we can barely keep our eyes open, perhaps are a bit cranky, and have stumbled through our tasks for the day as a result of a bad night's sleep. Imagine what your days would be like if that bad night of sleep was the norm rather than the exception. Yikes!
At Furnishing Dignity, we recognized the need for a soft, safe, comfortable bed for our clients to sleep on each night. In fact, it is the NUMBER ONE request from our clients. Since our first move in July, we have provided 56 beds for 20 families and children.
Furnishing Dignity is the only non-profit organization of our kind in the Phoenix area that has a policy of providing only new, never-slept-on-before, mattresses to our clients. As such, it is also one of our largest expenses as a non-profit. To help with the expense of purchasing new mattresses with every bed we deliver, we have set up the
FUND-A-MATTRESS fund. 100% of donations received to this fund go directly to purchase a mattress for a child or individual in need.
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