Youth league builds beds for Virginia children in poverty: 'Love they don't get'

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — A local chapter of the Young Men's Service League marked its 25th year of giving back with a five-hour bed-building event Saturday, partnering with Sleep in Heavenly Peace to build 30 beds for children in need.

The event was funded by a September 11 grant, allowing volunteers to honor those who lost their lives on that day while serving their community.

Will Loucks, president of the Young Men's Service League class of 2029 and a student at Midlothian High School, said the work is about more than building beds.

"We are showing love and care to children who might be struggling in domestic violence or are in poverty in our community, and it is so important because we want to show love and care for who they are and that love that they don't get," Loucks said.

Loucks said the Young Men's Service League is built around service and relationships.

"At Young Men's Service League, it is a chance to grow our relationships with young men and moms. We connect by doing service projects such as building beds, food pantries, special needs swim meets, stuff like that where we can connect and bond with other moms and brothers in our community," Loucks said.

Fellow league member Maddox Nobles walked through how the beds are made.

"You start out with the wood planks and then we'll drill into them and then we'll sand them all down to get perfect so the kids don't get injured because you never know. And then we take it and we put them all together, put the pieces together, and then we have the bed frame, and then we connect all the pieces and we give them the mattress, the bed sheets, all the pillows, and everything they need," Nobles said.

Nobles added that the event would not be possible without one key group.

"Without the moms, none of this would work out, so they're very important," Nobles said.

Hunter Cowan, president of the Goochland County Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter, said the national nonprofit builds beds for children ages 3 to 17 who do not have a bed to sleep on. He said the process goes through an assembly line of cutting, drilling, sanding, screwing, staining, and branding before the finished beds are stored and delivered.

"When we leave the house, the kid can go to sleep," Cowan said.

Families can apply for a bed through the Sleep in Heavenly Peace website. Cowan said his goal is to expand delivery across the entire Richmond area.

"My big goal is to cover the entire Richmond area. Right now we've set one up in Henrico, we've got Goochland, looking to set one up in Chesterfield, we're currently setting one up in the Hanover and King William area. City of Richmond is definitely in need," Cowan said. "If anybody's looking for a delivery hub, just reach out to Sleep in Heavenly Peace."