On Sept. 19, volunteers assembled 50 beds for children at Point Cadet Plaza in Biloxi. The district-wide service day brought Rotary clubs from South Mississippi and southeast Louisiana together with Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s Jackson County chapter. Rotary's advance notice described the planned build; WLOX's detailed post-event report confirms the 50-bed result.
The build was organized by Rotary District 6840 in partnership with the Jackson County chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a volunteer group that builds and delivers beds for children. WLOX reported that volunteers worked in teams through the day, turning lumber into bed frames. They cut, drilled, sanded, stained and branded the wood before assembling the finished frames. The district had also planned a Sept. 12 pre-build to precut lumber and train station leaders.
WLOX says Rotary District 6840 includes 48 clubs across southeast Louisiana and South Mississippi. That is the district’s full membership, not an attendance count for the Biloxi build. After the event, the station reported that nearly 40 Rotary clubs joined the service day in Biloxi. One figure describes the district as a whole; the other describes participating clubs. Neither is a count of individual volunteers who attended.
The effort also included items that help turn a frame into a complete bed. Before the build, area libraries served as drop-off points for new bedding. Rotary District Governor Emily Leitzinger told WLOX that the Rotary Club of Bay St. Louis worked with the library system to collect it. She described the aim as going “from lumber to linens.” Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s Jackson County page continues to invite donations of new twin-size sheets, pillows and other bedding.
A donor also provided about 100 books for children who receive beds. Leitzinger told WLOX the books were meant to go with the beds and give children a bedtime story to read. The report does not identify individual recipients or say when the books will be handed out. They were another contribution alongside the frames and bedding, prepared for children as the beds move toward delivery.
The finished frames are not the same as completed home deliveries. Walt Perez, president of Rotary of Pascagoula, told WLOX the beds were ready to go to children, with the remaining work being to schedule deliveries. WLOX did not report that families had received the beds yet. Sleep in Heavenly Peace describes a complete setup as including a handmade frame, a mattress and bedding.
For the Jackson County chapter, this build extended its work with families and local volunteers. The chapter’s website lists ways to volunteer, donate bedding or apply for a bed, and says it adds new volunteer opportunities regularly. Those details give residents a direct route to participate beyond the Sept. 19 event, whether by helping with a future build or contributing items that make each bed ready to use.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace says it was founded in 2012 and depends on volunteers and donors. The organization says it has delivered more than 340,000 beds to children who had been sleeping on floors, couches, shared beds or other inadequate arrangements. That is a national milestone, not a current local count. The local reports give no count for Jackson County children still waiting for beds.
Ed Noles, the chapter president, told WLOX that children without a safe place to sleep can struggle in school and with behavior. He said he wants children to have the safety and security to “dream big.” The build addressed that aim through a defined task: volunteers made frames, community members gathered supplies and books, and organizers prepared to schedule delivery.
The sources describe contributions from across the district, with library partners helping collect bedding and a donor supplying books. WLOX reported that community members and businesses can also sponsor a full bed setup for $250, including a frame, mattress and bedding. The project links a hands-on volunteer day with the later delivery work, while keeping the next step in view: getting completed bed setups into children’s homes.
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