Yes, it is my day job to raise funds for My Very Own Bed. So, why am I doing this personal fundraiser? Because I want all of my friends and family to know just how important this work is to me: this is not just a job. I am deeply committed to lifting kids up off the floor so that they can heal, grow, and thrive with a bed of their own. When I started this work in 2017, I had just recovered from my first bout of insomnia. I had always been a champion sleeper and knew I need a good eight hours most nights to feel my best. I want all children to have the opportunity to be their "best slept selves," as the National Sleep Foundation says.

I also love Steps for Sleep, and want to share this personal message with everyone I know: Sleep matters not only for our day-to-day functioning, but is critical for our long-term health. This event, first held fully online during National Sleep Awareness Month in March of 2021, was my attempt to remind all of us, stuck at home, about the importance of getting up off the couch and out into the world, moving our bodies. Exercise is good for our body and soul. It also helps us sleep!

So, I'm asking you to make a donation of any size to My Very Own Bed. Every $300 we raise will help one more child receive front-door delivery of a new bed and Dream Kit (bedding, book, and stuffed animal). Your gift today makes a huge difference in a child's life.

Please also attend our event on Saturday, May 18 at DeLaSalle High School, when we will walk around the beautiful Boom Island and get our bodies moving in other ways. There will also be over 20 organizations sharing information and selling products that support our overall health and wellbeing and our sleep.

If you are not available May 18th, you may still join us by registering to walk from anywhere any time during the month of May.  Sign up now by clicking "Register for this Event."

It all adds up to help kids sleep well and dream big in a bed of their own!