LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – The West Louisville chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace and local unions helped build 50 beds for students who don’t have their own. Nearly 50 volunteers made it possible.
A typical Saturday morning for Zachary Jasinski doesn’t involve much, but he spent this one building beds for children in Louisville.
“A whole lot of nothing, so this is definitely a better use of my time,” said Jasinski, an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 369 journeyman and interior electrician.
IBEW 369 was one of six different unions involved in the construction. During the six years of the local branch of Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s existence, approximately 1,000 beds were created.
“It just feels great…I’ve been retired for a few years and six years ago I was just looking for something to do and heard about this place on the national news,” said Tom Recktenwald, president of Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s West Louisville branch. “They said, ‘If you want to open a branch, come see us.’ So I did, and we’ve been building beds ever since.”
According to the Kentucky Department of Education, more than 22,000 students were homeless last school year, and the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration reported that nearly 40 percent of Kentucky children do not get the recommended amount of sleep.
“I’ve seen studies that show that children who don’t have a permanent place to sleep do worse in school, have more health problems, have behavioral problems … just a lot of things that are not good and that having their own bed can help with,” said Recktenwald.
That’s why volunteers like Jasinski do what they can to make a difference in children’s lives.
“It’s a good feeling. There are other things I can do on a Saturday, but nothing is as rewarding as today,” Jasinski said.
The beds will be delivered over the next week, primarily to students in west Louisville.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace is looking for donations and volunteers. For more information visit the website.
