BELLE — The screeching of drills and saws along with laughter-filled conversation filled the First Christian Church parking lot in Belle on Aug. 8 as volunteers turned pieces of lumber into something many families take for granted, a child’s bed.

The community bed build brought Sleep in Heavenly Peace volunteers together with local residents to construct beds for children who otherwise may be sleeping on couches, blankets or even floors.

For Beth Ayers, president of the Rolla-area Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter, learning how many children live without their own beds changed the direction of her retirement.

“I taught for 35 years, and I did not know that children needed beds,” Ayers said. “I mean, I knew they needed food, and it just wasn’t in my paradigm.”

Once she became aware of that need, however, Ayers said ignoring it was no longer an option.

“When I became aware of the need, then it was like, I can’t stand by and not do something,” she said. “And so I really felt like this was a calling from God.”

Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing beds to children who do not have one. Its message, “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.”

The local chapter serves six counties — Maries, Osage, Gasconade, Phelps, Pulaski and Crawford — and works to make sure children across the region have a safe, comfortable place to sleep. Ayers said the chapter delivered approximately 272 beds last year to children ranging from ages 3 through 17 years old.

The chapter began in 2019 when Artie and Fred Dautenhahn recognized the need for the program in the area. What initially operated largely through friends and family has since grown into a larger community effort.

Ayers took over as chapter president after completing training in Utah in 2024. A retired teacher, she has since worked to expand awareness of the organization through community meetings and relationships with financial institutions, foster care organizations and other agencies that work directly with families.

“Opening it up to a community-wide effort has really brought us a bigger base of workers and financial support,” Ayers said.

That community involvement on display Saturday in Belle consisted of more than 25 volunteers.

They worked at different stations throughout the build, taking lumber through the steps necessary to eventually become finished beds. No previous woodworking experience was necessary and those helping could learn the process while working alongside more experienced participants.

The organization supplies the tools and organizes the work, allowing people with different skill levels to contribute. Once completed, beds are paired with mattresses and bedding before being delivered to children.

Volunteer Mary Wittmaier became involved with Sleep in Heavenly Peace approximately three years ago after moving from Poplar Bluff. She had learned about the organization there and hoped to find a chapter near her new home.

She eventually spotted a Sleep in Heavenly Peace display at a Lions Club Christmas drive-through in Rolla.

“I just did enough research to try to find a contact person because I wanted to make quilts for the bedding,” Wittmaier said. “So that’s basically how I got in touch with the people who were in charge, and then just gradually got more and more involved with other aspects of the builds.”

She said she thinks the Belle event was about the eighth build she has participated in.

For Wittmaier, seeing people give their time to children they may never meet remains one of the most meaningful parts of the experience.

“When I see the community involved, it is heartwarming to know that so many people are concerned about the children in need in our various communities because we serve so many counties,” Wittmaier said. “And to know that the need is first of all there, and that people are concerned about the young people, the children, and their well-being in their own communities.”

Building beds is only one way residents can help.

The organization also needs new bedding, including twin-size sheets, comforters, pillows and other supplies that accompany beds when they are delivered. Donations and sponsorships help purchase lumber, mattresses and other materials, while volunteers are also needed to help deliver and assemble beds in families’ homes.

Ayers said simply spreading the word can make a difference.

People who know of a child who needs a bed can visit SHPbeds.org and complete the organization’s online application. The application is routed to the appropriate chapter based on the family’s location. The chapter then contacts the family and coordinates with delivery teams.

The local organization now has depots within the counties it serves, helping volunteers distribute beds without everything having to come from one central location.

Ayers also credited Highgate Baptist Church and all of its members for helping the organization continue its work.

“I want to thank Highgate Baptist Church for their unwavering support, physically and financially,” Ayers said. “They are an on-fire little church out in the country, and I want to make sure that they get thanks.”