"I've never had my very own mattress before."
Come again? Never?
"I have only ever slept on the floor or an air mattress."
Excuse me?
"I've never had sheets on a bed."
Really?
"Our family has been sleeping on the floor for over a year."
Are you kidding me?
"We have a used mattress, and it's still on the floor because we can't afford a bed frame."
And why don't you have a comforter on your bed?
"Because we need to pay for groceries and rent. After that, there isn't much money left over."
Say what?
I don't know about you, but I sometimes have difficulty getting a good night's sleep with three different pillows, a plush euro top mattress, Boll & Branch fair trade certified cotton sheets, and an organic cotton comforter set. How do families function (not by choice) day after day, at school, work, and home WITHOUT mattresses, sheets, pillows, and comforters to ensure their bodies receive the rest they need? This leads to the question:
What's in a mattress?
It shouldn't come as a surprise that at least one of my 4 children has been near my side while I type away on the computer. This time around it was my 9 year old daughter. She read this question out loud and came up with this answer:
There is comfort and happy dreams in a mattress.
How sweet. How true. A mattress offers so much more than individually wrapped coils, high density plush foam, and temperature regulated supports. Don't get me wrong, those features are fabulous and allow the ample combination of comforts for a good night's sleep. Yet, when all is said and done, there is certainly magic and wonder and happy dreams in a brand new mattress. Wouldn't you agree?
Mattresses offer the opportunity for everyone--men, women, and children--to "dream their dreams big and believe they can be." Thanks, Frieda B., LLC for that powerful quote and encouragement. We are all born with dignity and with that comes the right to believe we are worthy of more than a blanket on the floor. You are correct my 9 year old full of innocence, wonder, and security. Mattresses provide comfort, comfort through snuggles, coils, foams, and supports that allow our hearts, bodies, minds, and spirits to rest, rejuvenate, and dream about our futures. Mattresses, and all the bedroom fixings, grant healthy development, resiliency, and empowerment.
Upon searching the web for different organizations that serve in this gap of families sleeping each night on the floor, without mattresses, in the United States, I came across Leesa Sleep, LLC. Leesa Sleep, LLC donated 32,000 mattresses in 2018 because they "believe the key to a world worth waking up to is deeper rest." At Down Home, we believe that the men, women, and children we are blessed to serve are deserving of brand new mattresses. We have made this a financial priority because a mattress is impactful. It is a game-changer.
Down Home humbly thanks and high fives Life 97.9 Fill the Home Drive donors, Midco Foundation, American Crystal Sugar Company, Philanthropy and Youth (PaY), and others who have financially supported and made it possible to purchase mattresses for those we serve. We thank Restonic for their generous partnership and free delivery from their warehouse to ours. We also thank MyPillow for their generous donation of pillows. Check out our Facebook page to see the impact. Additionally, thanks to all donors, volunteers, sponsors, movers and shakers for your commitment to physically, mentally, and emotionally support families transitioning from homelessness into housing in our community.
Down Home humbly encourages you to Round Up a Team and Kick Up Your Boots with us at our 2nd Annual Hoedown Fundraiser on Sunday, September 15, at Drekker Brewhalla. Come be a part of empowering lives and helping transform empty spaces into comfortable homes. Register today!
So, what's in a mattress? The sky is the limit. We invite you to dream up the possibilities with us.
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