Nonprofit reaches milestone of 5,000 beds donated to kids across the Twin Cities

A Twin Cities nonprofit reached a milestone on Saturday of donating 5,000 beds to kids in need across the metro since 2014.

The mission of My Very Own Bed is to provide new beds and linens to families who recently secured stable housing.

A truck packed with pillows and bedding travels around the Twin Cities metro area to deliver what some of us take for granted.

“We are delivering beds to people that don’t have the opportunity to have them and buy them,” Melissa Rasmussen, volunteer, said. “It’s very sad to know that there’s a lot of people that don’t actually have beds that need them.”

Volunteers from Midwest Staffing Group unload the truck as kids eagerly wait at the door for their brand new bed.

“The first one was a little girl and she wanted pink and purple sheets so we picked up pink and purple sheets. She was just so ecstatic,” Rasmussen said.

Saturday marked 5,000 beds delivered across the metro, since the nonprofit started back in 2014.

“5,000 kids with a bed of their very own can do well in school, grow up to be healthy and strong and dream for the future,” Micheal Allen, My Very Own Bed founder and executive director, said.

Allen thought of the idea to create the organization after working in social services for years in the Twin Cities.

He saw families move out of shelters and into homes with little furniture and a bed was often too costly to afford.

“I was moving kids or families into housing. I saw kid after kid sleeping on the floor, sharing a bed or the biggest thing that we continue to see as kids sleeping on air mattresses,” Allen said.

But now, 5,000 kids across the metro area have their own bed to sleep in.

For “My Very Own Bed” volunteer opportunities or donation efforts visit here.