KC Cares: Comfort is key in SleepyHead Beds’ mission to provide sleep necessities to Kansas Citians

Workers at Sleepyhead Beds shift around some of the mattresses at the warehouse. // Photo by Beth Lipoff

It’s tough to get a good night’s sleep for school when you don’t even have a bed. That’s something that Hasan Givens is familiar with, having lost countless possessions to a house fire about seven years ago.

“It changed my perspective on how much a bed is taken for granted,” Givens says. “Not being able to have somewhere to lay your head down at night, where you gotta make a pallet or sleep on the couch or something like that, it really does take an effect on people.”

At the time, Givens and his family turned to Sleepyhead Beds—a nonprofit founded in 2010 working to distribute beds, frames, and more comfort necessities to individuals in need in the Kansas City community. Now, Givens works in the Sleepyhead Beds warehouse, helping return the favor.

“I was in a situation where I didn’t have a bed, and now that I can help people get beds that don’t necessarily have the resources to go get one, it means a lot. Knowing that I was in that position, and that I can support them or help them get a bed, that way they’re not sleeping on the floor anymore—it’s great,” he says.

Since 2010, they’ve distributed more than 30,000 mattresses in the metro area.

“Just getting the kids off of the floor, off of the sofa—it’s a great thing,” Sleepyhead Beds Executive Director Pam Glickman says.

Workers at Sleepyhead Beds get a box spring ready to load for a client. // Photo by Beth Lipoff

They’ll accept five sizes of mattresses and box springs for beds ranging from twin up to queen, either dropped off at their warehouse or through a scheduled pick-up from outside a home. The organization asks that the donated bunk be in good condition, free from any stains, mold, or tears. While they don’t accept pillow donations, they provide new, fresh ones to those receiving beds.

“We do ask that if you’re donating a bed, it would be something you would be willing to sleep on yourself,” Glickman says.

Once at their warehouse, each donation gets sanitized and sorted for redistribution. Glickman says their waiting list can range from a few dozen to a few hundred, depending on the month. Because their focus is on children, they’re especially in need of twin bed donations right now.

They’ll also take new or gently used sheets, which they launder before redistributing. Glickman appreciates the community’s openhandness, saying that many companies hold linen donation drives with their employees.

“The generosity of the community is terrific,” she says.

Sleepyhead Beds receives many linen donations that they give away with the beds. // Photo by Beth Lipoff

Beyond helping others have a comfortable place to rest, the process of donating and redistributing mattresses is also good for the environment, Glickman mentions.

“Something people don’t realize is that, if we recycle your mattress, it’s not in a landfill,” the executive director says. “We’re putting them to good use: recycle, reuse, repurpose.”

She says that this philanthropy is an easy avenue to fulfillment, loving every chance to provide resources to those in need, and seeing the joy that it brings them.

“There is a certain joy when the children come and get to pick out boy sheets or get to pick out a girl bedspread or whatever,” she says. “For many children, they may share a bedroom, but now this bed is their space. This is where they can read a book. This is where they can chill out.”

Workers at Sleepyhead Beds get a mattress ready to load for a client. // Photo by Beth Lipoff

There is a $40 pick-up fee that helps cover all the costs of getting the beds ready for new owners, such as maintenance on the pick-up vehicles, sanitizing spray, laundry detergent, and the warehouse space. Sleepyhead Beds doesn’t get state or federal funds, so its budget mostly comes from grants and donations.

If you don’t have a bed or frame to lend, individuals can still get involved, volunteering on distribution days to help load the beds, since there are only a handful of staff members who take on the task. Volunteers, who the organization requires to be at least 18 years old or accompanied by an adult, can also offer a hand by sorting donated linen by size.

To get on the list to receive a bed, individuals need a referral from an advocate, such as a social worker or a counselor. Each week, they do a distribution, but it all depends on their inventory. Those who receive beds must make their own arrangements for a vehicle to pick up everything.

For more information about Sleepyhead Beds, visit sleepyheadbeds.org