In Episode 144 of the Charity Charge Show, we sit down with a man who is quite literally building a better night’s sleep for children across the globe. Luke Mickelson, the founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) Beds, joins us to share a story that started in a cold Idaho garage and has since ignited a national movement to end “child bedlessness.”
Overview
Sleep in Heavenly Peace National Movement
Luke’s journey didn’t start in a boardroom; it started with a simple observation in Kimberly, Idaho. While looking for ways to get local youth away from their screens and into service, Luke discovered a family in his own backyard whose children were sleeping on the floor.
“It hit me up the side of the head like a two-by-four,” Luke recalls. “I thought, ‘You gotta be kidding me. What are they sleeping on? The floor?'”
What began as a one-time project to build a few beds has scaled into a massive operation. Today, SHP has over 400 chapters across 47 states and four countries. In 2026 alone, they are on track to build nearly 100,000 beds.
Innovation in the Nonprofit Model: Your Mission is Your Fundraiser
One of the most profound takeaways from Luke’s strategy is how SHP flipped the traditional nonprofit funding model on its head. Instead of diverting energy into “spaghetti feeds” or gala dinners, SHP makes the mission itself the revenue driver through Corporate Team Building.
- The Problem: Corporations want to give back but struggle to find scalable, organized, and impactful volunteer opportunities.
- The Solution: SHP provides “turnkey” build events. Companies like Lowe’s, Ford, and Google sponsor the materials and bring their employees to build the beds.
- The Result: The company gets a high-impact team-building experience, and the nonprofit gets 100% mission-aligned funding.
Avoiding “Mission Creep”
As a senior strategist, I find Luke’s discipline regarding Mission Creep to be a masterclass for any social impact leader. When you enter a home and see a family in need, the temptation to provide clothes, food, or toys is immense. However, Luke insists on a singular focus: Beds.
By staying “mile-deep and inch-wide,” SHP ensures their operations remain efficient, their branding stays clear, and their impact is measurable. This discipline is what allows them to maintain a 96% efficiency rate, ensuring nearly every dollar donated stays in the local community to build beds.
How You Can Get Involved
The need is staggering—roughly 3% of children in any given community are sleeping without a bed. Here is how you can join the SHP family:
- Raise Awareness: Child bedlessness is an “unknown” crisis. Share this episode to help shine a light on the issue.
- Volunteer or Donate: Visit SHPBeds.org to find a local chapter. You can donate specifically to your city, ensuring your impact is felt at home.
- Start a Chapter: If your community lacks an SHP presence, the organization provides full training, tools, and initial funding to help you lead the charge.
“No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.” It’s a bold mission, but with leaders like Luke Mickelson and the power of community-driven data, it’s a goal that is within our reach.
Interview Q&A
Q: What inspired Luke Mickelson to start building beds for kids in his community?
A: While serving as a youth leader in his church, Luke learned about a local family the church was helping who had kids sleeping on the floor without beds. He was shocked that child bedlessness existed in his town and saw an opportunity to engage the teen boys he mentored in a meaningful service project building beds.
Q: How did Sleep in Heavenly Peace grow from a local project into a national organization?
A: After several years of building beds in his community, Luke and SHP were featured on Mike Rowe’s Facebook series Returning the Favor in 2018. The episode reached 10 million viewers and revealed the nationwide scope of child bedlessness. Luke developed a chapter system to replicate the SHP model in other communities, providing training and support for volunteer leaders.
Q: What makes Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s operating model unique and scalable?
A: SHP provides a complete turnkey system for chapters, including guidance on hosting build events, working with sponsors, managing logistics and inventory. This “bed in a box” model empowers chapters to serve their communities efficiently. Nationally, SHP creates partnerships with mattress companies, tool brands, and retailers to supply chapters with needed materials and funding.
Q: How does Sleep in Heavenly Peace approach corporate partnerships and fundraising?
A: SHP seeks out sponsors whose products or social impact initiatives align with their mission, such as mattress brands, home improvement stores, etc. They create national programs where a sponsor’s locations across the country can participate in a unified campaign with measurable impact, such as a one-day build event. However, SHP is disciplined in saying no to partnerships that don’t fit to avoid mission creep.
Q: What strategies has Sleep in Heavenly Peace used to fuel its rapid growth while maintaining quality?
A: From the start, SHP has stayed laser-focused on their core mission of providing beds to children in need. Resisting the pull of “mission creep” allows them to deliver their programs with excellence as they scale. They’ve also invested in creating a robust training program and support system for volunteer chapter presidents, empowering local leaders with the tools and skills needed to successfully serve their communities.
Q: What is Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s ultimate vision and impact goal?
A: Currently, SHP has over 275 chapters operating in the US and a presence in 4 countries. In 2023 alone, they aim to build 100,000 beds. But beyond the numbers, Luke and his team are on a mission to ensure that no child has to sleep on the floor. They believe that a bed is not a luxury, but a basic need and right for every child. SHP wants to make child bedlessness unacceptable and solvable through the power of compassionate communities.
Q: How can individuals get involved with and support Sleep in Heavenly Peace?
A: There are many ways to engage with SHP, such as:
- Making a monetary donation on their website (96% of each donation stays in the local community)
- Volunteering at a local chapter’s bed build event or bed delivery
- Organizing a bed build event with your company, church or civic group
- Starting a SHP chapter in your community if one doesn’t exist
- Spreading awareness about child bedlessness and SHP’s mission in your networks
