Yes, I am a full-time employee of My Very Own Bed, and my job is to raise money, so this fundraiser is part of my work. But it is also personal. I have been working with this organization for nearly 8 years - first as a volunteer, then as a part-time employee, and full-time for the last couple of years. The immediate joy and lasting impact of providing a child with a cozy, new bed inspires my work each and every day. During my time working with My Very Own Bed, I have witnessed our reaching over 9,500 of the 10,100 children we have reached so far. I am excited to be part of the next 10,000!
In 2020, I launched our first Steps for Sleep as a virtual event to remind all of us that movement improves our sleep, and sleep helps us perform better and improves our overall health. Our fifth annual Steps for Sleep - Saturday, September 13 at DeLaSalle High School - continues to reinforce this message for all who participate, in person or walking from anywhere. This year, we are offering 15-minute sampler classes and a Wellness Fair with many wellness-focused small businesses and non-profit organizations so that participants can take "steps" to improve their own health. Please consider joining us by registering today to attend the in-person event or to walk anywhere that week in September.
Steps for Sleep is also a fundraiser for our work providing new beds and Dream Kits (bedding, book, and stuffed animal) to children who need them - most of whom have recently moved out of homelessness into more stable housing. The kids receiving beds of their own have been sleeping on the floor or an air mattress or sharing a bed with a parent or sibling. In their new beds, they are sleeping better, which, in turn, helps them heal, grow, and thrive.
I am excited that a new donor has offered a challenge to all of us fundraising through Steps for Sleep. Every donation will be matched, up to $20,000, and if we hit the maximum, he will add a $5,000 bonus gift!
Could you please join me today with a gift of any size to help us reach this peer-to-peer fundraising goal? I'd be so very grateful.