GIVING CHILDREN THE GIFT OF A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Dustin Sergesketter. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Dustin Sergesketter is no master craftsman, but he can help assemble a bed with the best of them.

Already a member of his local Kiwanis Club in 2020, Dustin heard about an organization called Sleep in Heavenly Peace from another member. Upon hearing that the organization builds and delivers beds to children and families in need, Dustin was eager to get involved in establishing the local chapter in his Indiana community. The team goes out and gets lumber from Lowe’s and partially constructs the beds in their space. Meanwhile, other team members purchase sheets, comforters and pillows. On construction day, the SIHP team shows up to the recipient’s home and assembles the bed onsite. With the blankets and pillows added, each child is given the chance to sleep restfully, maybe for the first time.

With five years of volunteering with Sleep in Heavenly Peace under his belt, Dustin is realistic about his hopes for the future. Even though he and other volunteers build and deliver nearly 50 beds every month, there are still many children in his area who are eagerly awaiting a bed of their own. Dustin estimates that there are nearly 300 to 400 children on a waiting list, still hoping to have a place to rest their heads every night.

Until those names are crossed off the list, Dustin and his team will be hard at work. They even had an exciting endeavor planned for earlier this month. Due to a bit of a backlog of inventory, they delivered 100 beds on September 13. It was a tremendous challenge to take on, considering the amount of construction, driving, assembly, and time management it required.

While the number of children eagerly awaiting a bed of their own can be overwhelming, it doesn’t take away from the tremendous accomplishments of Dustin and his team. Thanks to his leadership, Dustin’s chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace has provided over 2,000 kids with new beds thus far. They’re not stopping there, however: the organization has secured funds to sustain building beds through 2026.

Dustin’s determination to better the lives of local children is a powerful testament to how volunteering can make a genuine change within a community.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative?

I became a volunteer through the Kiwanis Club. There was a gentleman who was also a member who mentioned Sleep in Heavenly Peace, and I wanted to know more about it. This guy was building beds and delivering them to kids around town, and he was starting the chapter for Evansville, Indiana. I thought it was a great way to have something tangible to give our community, especially with kids. I can’t imagine being a kid sleeping on the floor, and I can’t imagine the parents having kids sleeping on the floor, sleeping with them or whatever the case may be. I also liked that it was local and that I know where my money and time are going. I also found meaning in how it is extremely tangible, because not only are you building it, but delivering it on the spot.

Tell us about your volunteer role with Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

Originally, we were there every second Saturday of the month when it started back in September of 2020. We were doing everything from building the beds to delivering them the same day. We have had such an outpouring from the community and sponsors that we’ve generated core teams. My team is doing logistics. I call recipients who have applied for a bed, and I ask if they’re available on Saturday between eight and noon. That takes a few hours throughout the week, leading up to getting everything scheduled. I go in early on Saturday mornings, and I make sure everybody calls all the delivery drivers. A lot of times, I will accompany volunteers who have not been there before to do it. I could be the lead of that particular delivery, where we may go out to three or four different homes and assemble five or six beds.

What inspires you to volunteer?

I feel like our family has been blessed, and if I can be a blessing, whether monetarily or with our physical abilities, I just think it’s something we should do to help others. Being a good role model for our children is also important, so they have accompanied us on some of these deliveries too.

What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?

I think my goal is to keep it going until we don’t have any more applications for beds. It’s unfortunate. In Evansville and the surrounding area, which probably has roughly 200,000 people, we have been going for five years. Yet I bet we still have a backlog of 300 or 400 beds that are needed.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

Seeing the kids and the families’ faces when you’re actually doing the delivery and you assemble the bed in their home. Just seeing that joy, and the blessing it is on that family and knowing they’re going to be better off than they were that morning.

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?

Doing something for others can truly bring a community together. You can just see it snowball from within the community, with all the different sponsors and companies. There are so many repeat volunteers. I think it’s because it’s tangible. It’s something they can actually see instead of sending money to other great causes.

Tell us about future partnerships, programs or events that you are excited about.

We’re doing an extra special one this time. We have a surplus of beds, and we’re going to deliver 100 beds on the 13th, so it’s a bigger delivery because we have a little backlog of inventory. It’s more than what we would normally do. But sometimes we put those types of events together.

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?

I would say don’t wait, because there is no perfect time. If you’re waiting for the perfect time, you’re probably too late. I don’t know how to say it. There’s no perfect time. You just have to show up.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Dustin? Find local volunteer opportunities.