No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town! | Sleep in Heavenly Peac

We are thrilled to announce that Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), has been awarded it’s third grant from the UNFoundation in the amount of $2,000!

SHP is on a mission to ensure that no child sleeps on the floor in our community. Through volunteer-driven efforts, they build and deliver beds to children in need, transforming lives and strengthening families.

With this grant, SHP will expand its reach, providing more children with the essential comfort and dignity of a good night’s sleep. This investment will directly impact the lives of countless children in Chattanooga, fostering healthier, happier, and more productive futures.

We are proud to support SHP's incredible work and look forward to seeing the positive impact this grant will have on the community.

Even More Bunk Beds | Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) is a volunteer 501(c)3 charitable organization that builds bunk beds for local children who are sleeping on floors, couches, and other uncomfortable situations without beds. In the Summer of 2019, we funded SHP, they won again in October 2020 and they have now achieved a three-peat! Not only do they deliver these beds, equipped with mattresses, sheets, pillows, and a blanket to kiddos in need, but they partner with organizations, churches, businesses, and individuals to build them at events called Build Days! Follow them on Facebook to keep up with the next build day.

How do we know the beds are going to the kids that really need them? All applicants are qualified through the national selection committee. They have an online application here. Our $1,500 funded even more beds so fewer Chattanooga kids are sleeping on the floor or on a couch. The goal? No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.

More Bunk Beds | Sleep in Heavenly Peace CHA

Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) is a volunteer 501(c)3 charitable organization who builds bunk beds for local children who are are sleeping on floors, couches, and other uncomfortable situations without beds. In the Summer of 2019, The UNFoundation funded SHP and they have won again! Not only do they deliver these beds, equipped with mattresses, sheets, pillows and a blanket to kiddos in need, but they partner with organizations, churches, businesses, and individuals to build them at events called Build Days! Follow them on Facebook to keep up with the next build day.

How do we know the beds are going to the kids that really need them? All applicants are qualified through the national selection committee. They have an online application here. Our $3,000 funded even more beds so fewer Chattanooga kids are sleeping on the floor or a couch. The goal? No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.

National Rebuilding Day | Rebuilding Together Chattanooga

Home owners insurance is a luxury not everyone can afford. Rebuilding Together Chattanooga (RTC) is a neighbors-helping-neighbors initiative to provide safety and health related home repairs and modifications to needy home owners in the Chattanooga area.  Most do not have insurance. Literally all other home-repair programs in Chattanooga require homeowners' insurance by the homeowner.

Most directly, RTC programming benefits low-income, disabled, elderly, veterans, single-parents, and the uninsured. In addition to making needed repairs, projects help households age in place with dignity, reduce their energy bills, improve their quality of life and sense of community, and address safety issues.  Home and community environments have a major impact on health and well-being. At a time when the income inequality gap continues to grow and the costs of homeownership continues to rise, too many of our neighbors suffer from the health and economic consequences of living in substandard housing and unsafe communities. Our $3,000 grant will support a major repair project for National Rebuilding Day, scheduled for April 25, 2020.

Trauma-Informed Family Rooms at Children's Advocacy Center | Homes and Havens

Back in 2017, the UNFoundation supported a burgeoning effort dubbed Homes & Havens to create healing spaces in multiple homes for women in recovery.  They partner with local organizations that are already working to assist women out of their initial crisis. These are usually residential programs that last anywhere from a few months up to two years. After a woman is referred to them by one of their partners, they begin the process of creating a haven in her own home. It has been a big success, and they are now extending their trauma-informed design services to the agencies that help. 

The Children's Advocacy Center in Chattanooga reached out to them and asked for help designing and decorating two family rooms within their agency. These rooms are where families wait and meet with a caseworker while their child begins a forensic exam after being sexually assaulted or abused. They are also used by three different agencies within Chattanooga all working with victims of trauma and will serve multiple caseworkers, parents, guardians, and children during their visit to the Family Justice Center.

These rooms should feel like home, and embrace all that enter them. Once complete the space will be a comforting, calming, and therapeutic space for families and children during such a traumatic time. Currently, the spaces lack this warm, cozy home luster. The before photos are highlighted so stay tuned for photos of the completed project!

Bunk Bed Build Day | Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) is a volunteer 501(c)3 charitable organization that builds bunk beds for local children who are are sleeping on floors, couches, and other uncomfortable situations without beds. In October 2018, Bob and Betsy, saw this episode of Returning the Favor and now we have a chapter in Chattanooga. Not only do they deliver these beds, equipped with mattresses, sheets, pillows and a blanket to kiddos in need, but they partner with organizations, churches, businesses, and individuals to build them at events called Build Days! On its first build day in February 2019 35 beds were built. 

How do we know the beds are going to the kids that really need them? All applicants are qualified through the national selection committee. They have an online application here. Our $3,000 funded a build day to create 20 bunk beds. 40 Chattanooga kids now have beds to sleep in that were once using the floor or a couch. No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.

Circulating Tool Library | Chattanooga Public Library

Thanks to Jaclyn Anderson and the driven leadership of the Downtown Chattanooga Library we will soon have the opportunity to borrow tools at NO COST to public library cardholders. Tools such as socket wrench sets, cordless drills (yeah, we’ve got SKIL), and power sanders!  The tool collection is being curated for Chattanoogans embarking on home renovation or community service projects, in which purchasing all the necessary tools for a one-time project may not be feasible.  Home repair and other DIY programs are on the horizon. The library plans on supplementing their collection with programming. Dang, we sure are proud of our public library here in #CHA.

Homes and Havens | Kaysie Strickland

Homes & Havens, since its inception in September 2016, helps women who are overcoming crisis, homelessness, abuse, or addiction transition from having a place to live to having a home. Kaysie, a home decorator by trade, helps reimagine and renew their space with paint, furniture, home goods, and as much beauty as she can fit into four walls. Having a renewed home can help them continue to heal, overcome, and grow confident in their victorious new season of life.

On average, it takes about $800 to give one woman’s apartment/home a beautiful makeover. Kaysie takes thriftiness to a whole new level. Many of these women are in the process of trying to recover custody of their kids and having a home that is beautiful and equipped to support healthy relationships gives them confidence and excitement to keep moving forward. Our $3,000 grant will help transform 4 women's homes here in Chattanooga. Read about some of the women Kaysie has already helped here.