ROSWELL, Ga. — Many children go to bed each night without a comfortable place to sleep, but one nonprofit is on a mission to change that.
Tracy Chmelecki, the founder of Children Without Beds, is dedicated to providing every child with a cozy and secure sleeping environment. Chmelecki's inspiration for starting the nonprofit came from her own cherished childhood memories of her bed being a safe haven.
"As a child, I always had a very clean room. My bed was my, you know, safety zone," she said, recognizing that not every child has the same privilege.
In 2016, while volunteering with her church to assist a family with their move, Chmelecki made a startling discovery. Children from an outreach ministry who had come to help needed assistance as well.
"The last thing on the truck, or the beds, a little voice in the back of the truck said, 'I don't have a bed.' And I thought, 'What do you mean you don't have a bed?'" Chmelecki said, adding that all five children were sleeping on the floor.
This eye-opening experience propelled Chmelecki to address the issue head-on. After sharing her vision with her best friend, they established a nonprofit organization called Children Without Beds.
"I realized then that this is a big problem," she said.
Children Without Beds aims to provide brand-new beds, including platform frames, mattresses, bedbug and waterproof mattress covers, comforters, sheet sets, and pillows to children in need. Additionally, the organization supplies a wide range of new linens with various themes like dinosaurs, sports, superheroes and more.
Since its inception in 2017, Children Without Beds has delivered over 600 beds to families in 38 cities.
"It's so heart-touching to see the excitement," Chmelecki said about the joy she feels delivering the beds. "Many of these children don't have anything to call their own. To see kids excited, jumping around because of a bed—it's truly remarkable."
Over the years, Children Without Beds has expanded its impact, assisting families, veterans, and those transitioning from homelessness to stable housing. Chmelecki emphasizes that the organization's mission extends beyond just delivering beds.
"We just don't want to deliver a bed; we want to show love," she said.
However, Children Without Beds faces challenges and needs the community's support to sustain its mission.
The organization urgently needs a box truck for delivering beds, a warehouse to store supplies (as they are currently paying for storage units), and, most importantly, more supporters to join their cause.
Chmelecki said that they would continue in their efforts to provide beds to children, regardless of any obstacles they encounter.
"We're gonna continue as long as we possibly can to get beds to children," she said.
Visit the organization's website to contribute to Children Without Beds or offer assistance.