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While many were sleeping in and others were gearing up for the second week of college football, about 150 volunteers gathered in LaGrange to give their Saturday morning to help an unseen group in our community — kids without beds.

On Saturday, community groups, churches and individuals assembled bunk beds for kids who don’t have a bed of their own at home. The beds were created as part of the Bunks Across America National Build Day campaign ran by Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

Volunteers of all skill levels worked together to create 80 bunk beds for kids who would have otherwise had to share a bed or sleep on the couch, at best, or sleep on the floor.

“No kid sleeps on the floor in our town” is the motto of Sleep in Heavenly Peace and a lofty goal for the nonprofit group. In our opinion, it’s a worthy one.

Children are often the unseen victims of poverty. It’s easy to notice adults in need. We see them nearly every day, but the child of a struggling parent who hasn’t eaten in two days sometimes goes unnoticed. 

The Troup County School System identifies a number students each year who are functionally homeless. All of these kids aren’t living on the streets; they’re “couch homeless.” 

They bounce around from family member to family member, to a different hotel every few weeks or to houses that are often falling down with no utilities.

For those fortunate enough for more stable homes, their caregivers sometimes cannot provide them with a safe, warm place of their own to sleep each night. That’s where Sleep in Heavenly Peace steps in. They provide bunk beds complete with bedding to kids in need and deliver them at no charge.

Because of the efforts of 150 caring individuals in LaGrange who gave up their Saturday morning, 80 kids won’t have to sleep on the floor.