Sleep in Heavenly Peace Bed Build Project

Etowah County Schools

Principal, Mrs. Julie Tucker

Superintendent, Dr. Alan Cosby

The Sleep in Heavenly Peace bed build project conducted by the Southside High School Agriscience Department/FFA chapter gave students the ability to make an impact on others within their feeder communities. The Gadsden, AL chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) serves seven counties in Alabama. Youth between the ages of 3-17 without a bed of their own can receive a new twin size bed frame, mattress, pillow, bedding set, bedtime story, blanket, and stuffed animal through this organization. Southside High School Agriscience partners with SHP annually to build twin size bed frames out of basic materials such as lumber, screws, and lag screws. To complete this project each year, students utilize tape measures, speed squares, compound miter saws, drills, drill presses, orbital palm sanders, a vinegar and steel wool stain solution, and a traditional heat branding setup. Students mastered hands-on skills and became increasingly passionate about community service programs such as SHP thanks to their involvement in the partnership. Throughout the 2021-2022 year, 148 students were involved in the bed build. These students devoted approximately 18 hours of service each to the project, resulting in a total of 1,332 hours. 17 of those members devoted an additional 2 hours each. In total, 1,366 hours were spent carrying out the Sleep in Heavenly Peace Bed Build program at Southside High School during the 2021-2022 school year.