Build A Bed 

Every night, children across the OKC metro area sleep on couches or even on the floor. Edmond resident Jim Gleason is working to change that. Partnering with a national charity called Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Jim and his team have helped build hundreds of new beds for kids who need them.

Jim hosts OKC’s largest annual bed-building event at his business, G&S Sign Company. “He’s been one of our strongest supporters, and I can’t thank him enough,” says Richard Moio, OKC chapter president for Sleep in Heavenly Peace. 

A Team Effort

For most of the year, G&S Sign Company’s large OKC ware-house is filled with signs, manufacturing materials, tools, and equipment. However, during the annual Bunks Across America event each fall, the warehouse transforms into a bed-assembly factory. This event is Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s largest bed-building effort, involving chapters across the USA.

Using simple templates from the charity, Jim and dozens of other volunteers build as many beds as possible in one day. The volunteers sand, punch, drill, and assemble the bed parts. “It sounds like a bunch of bees buzzing in there!” says Jim. 

The team brands the beds with the Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) logo and stains them. Then the finished beds are delivered to families, complete with mattresses, sheets, blankets, and pillows—everything a child needs for a good night’s sleep.

OKC’s team built more than 100 beds last fall. The event has grown every year since it began in 2021. G&S employees, members of the Gleason family, and community members all step up to help. “Our employees love it,” says Jim. “We look forward to it every year.” 

A Great Way to Give Back

Jim and his wife, Michelle, raised their family in Edmond and are dedicated to making a difference in the community. Jim learned about SHP through a news story about the charity.

“I felt like it would be a great fit for us,” he says. Jim has supported several local organizations that assist kids. His business had the warehouse space to hold a bed-building event, as well as large saws and other tools. They even had lumber from the containers that were used for shipping signs. 

Along with providing the space, G&S Sign Company also helps support the event financially, organizes volunteers, and recruits businesses as local sponsors. “It’s a really rewarding project to be a part of,” says Jim.

How You Can Help

Sleep in Heavenly Peace is growing, but there’s still a need for more beds. The charity’s OKC chapter holds bed-building events throughout the year. Richard is glad to work with churches, clubs, businesses, and any other group that wants to help.

SHP depends on community donations to pay for the beds, which cost up to $250 each. Richard welcomes corporate sponsors and individual donors. The charity also accepts material donations from corporate sponsors.

Families who need beds for their kids can apply through SHP’s website. Right now, recipients must live in southeast OKC, but Richard hopes to expand to other areas in the future.

OKC’s 2024 Bunks Across America event will be held on Saturday, September 14, at G&S Sign Company. To get involved as a volunteer or sponsor, contact Richard and ask to be part of the G&S team.

Jim hopes that this fall his team can build even more beds than last year. “I’ve always felt like local businesses need to help their community,” he says. “This is our way of doing that.”

Contact Sleep in Heavenly Peace at shpbeds.org and the OKC chapter at shpbeds.org/chapter/ok-oklahoma-city.