LINN — Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) volunteer Fred Dautenhahn and a group of 81 volunteers on Saturday built 50 beds at St. James, including the 100th since the Phelps County chapter began its work about a year ago. Dautenhahn said the project was only possible with a grant from Three Rivers’ Helping Hands Foundation.
“We are so grateful for the donation Three Rivers made to the organization,” said Dautenhahn. “We’ve had donations from local banks and businesses, but this grant put us over the top and made it all possible.”
At the start of the day, SHP had constructed 76 beds, and the group paused with the completion of the 100th bed to commemorate the occasion. With the 50 beds built Saturday, the group has now completed 126.
“We were shut down for three months due to COVID,” said Dautenhahn. “We couldn’t make or deliver any beds so to be able to get this many done is remarkable.”
Dautenhahn added that he expected 30-35 volunteers for Saturday’s project, and was overwhelmed by the actual number of people who turned out.
“It was an amazing afternoon,” said Dautenhahn, who with his wife, Toni, along their son, Arti, and five grandchildren, took part in the project. “We had people of all ages, but many of them were between 15 and 30 years old. It’s so nice to see so many young people wanting to be involved for the betterment of the community.”
At the site of the build, a lumber company provided materials at cost, and a local pizza restaurant gave volunteers free pizza.
The Helping Hands Foundation grant allowed for other materials, but a special addition to the project came from an unexpected source.
“A high school student contacted Arti and asked if there was anything she could do as part of the A-plus program and National Honor Society,” said Dautenhahn. “She is from Kirksville and made the trip down with her family. She collected donations in her area and gave us 53 sets of complete bedding, 20 extra sheet sets, and a $200 donation.”
The student, Kirksville senior Logan Davis, and her family also stayed and helped build a bed. “She is an amazing young lady, and we are grateful for people like her,” said Dautenhahn. “Now that we have bedding, it’s easier to get these beds out to the people who need them.”
During the previous build, SHP finished 20 beds, all of which were immediately shipped. Of this group of 50 beds, there have been requests for 22. Dautenhahn said SHP is still 20 beds behind and plans to get more ready soon.
This ongoing mission began when Fred and Toni met with SHP founder Luke Mickelson in April of 2019. Arti started the Rolla chapter of SHP after that trip and enlisted the help of his father.
“He came to me as I am retired from 42 years of construction management, to be the build manager,” said Fred. “I was hooked when Toni and I went to Idaho.”
What they saw at SHP was remarkable.
“There is not a single paid employee,” Fred. “Everyone was involved because they cared about kids. Being retired, if I can do anything to help kids I will try.”
Sleep in Heavenly Peace got its start like many other charities, in a garage. It was Christmas time, a time of joy and happiness, a time of giving and love, but also a time of bitter, cold weather and snowstorms.
Luke and Heidi Mickelson founded SHP in 2012 in Twin Falls, Idaho.
That Christmas, what began as a project to build one bed for a single family, developed into something a whole lot more.
Luke was a youth group leader at his church, and the group built beds for a member family of the church that was in need.