Approximately 2-3% of children ages 3-17 in the United States do not have a bed, according to non-profit Sleep in Heavenly Peace, and the organization is doing everything in its power to change that. They have built and delivered 500,000 beds nationwide and recently added a St. Croix County Chapter to fill a void in the area.

St. Croix County chapter Vice President Tom Vogler, who also works in carpet cleaning, recalled a time when a Prescott family asked for their apartment carpets to be cleaned through Best Christmas Ever, which helps families facing hardships during the holidays.

“They wanted to replace the carpet, but the landlord would not let them for whatever reason,” Vogler said. “I went in there and I cleaned it.”

Vogler said they decided to help the family out for free, and upon entering, he saw a child without a bed.

“This just kind of brought it full circle that yeah, we’re not very far away and there’s a need,” Vogler said. “Three percent of kids 3-17 don’t have their own bed.”

Vogler, who lives in River Falls but was originally from Chippewa Falls, had read about the Chippewa County chapter in the newspaper, and instantly saw the importance of the organization. Later, he saw the closest chapter was in Dunn County. He had a conversation with the chapter president and attended a bed build at UW-Stout. He found out St. Croix County had some other interested people in starting a chapter, and they got together to do just that.

“There were four or five of us that got together one night and said, ‘Alright, we’re going to start one of these things,’” Vogler said.

Since Vogler had connections with other chapters, they found a way to get a bed for the Prescott family.

The non-profit started in Idaho in 2012, reaching around 400 chapters in the nation. St. Croix County’s chapter started in October 2024, joining the mission to build and deliver beds with mattresses, pillows, comforters and sheets to children ages 3-17 who do not have a bed of their own. The beds are not just delivered to the St. Croix County community, but also to homes in Pierce County.

During bed builds, the organization constructs at least 20 beds. Two builds are scheduled through the chapter in July, the first on July 16 and the second on July 19. The first build is at Philips-Medisize in Hudson from 1-4 p.m. and the second is through Cross Lutheran Church at Roberts Park Pavillion in Roberts from 9 a.m.-noon. To build the 20-bed minimum, Vogler said it takes about $5,000 in donations, so he was pleased they could compile that twice.

“That is a donation of $5,000, so it’s like $250 a bed,” Vogler said. “We want 40 volunteers for the bed builds.”

Vogler was appreciative of both hosts of the builds, as they will also be supplying some of the many required volunteers.

“They were very eager and helpful,” Vogler said after talking to a Roberts quilting group, men's group and Lions Club. “You could see their ears just perk when we started talking about this… You know how big Roberts is, not much more than a spot on the map. For them to come up with a $5,000 donation for 20 beds, I thought was pretty impressive.”

Vogler said the group is constantly looking for homes to place beds. The lone requirement is that they are for children ages 3-17 who do not currently have a bed to call their own, no further questions asked. They are not just looking to place beds in St. Croix County, but in the Pierce area as well.

To apply for a bed or donate to the group, visit its website at www.shpbeds.org/chapter/wi-st-croix-co/.

“This is really needed,” Vogler said. “That would be my why.”

Vogler thanked the Dunn County chapter for donating their old trailer as they recently got a new one. He also thanked Whitetail Ridge Auto in River Falls for fixing up the trailer free of charge.

Anyone looking to sponsor a bed build should reach out through the contact tab on the chapter’s webpage. Vogler said they are also looking for someone to wrap the trailer.