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Young Men’s Service League to build beds for children

DRIPPING SPRINGS — Not every child has a safe and comfortable place to lay their head at night. Across the U.S., there are children who go to sleep without a bed or a pillow and are forced to sleep on couches, blankets or the floor.
Young Men’s Service League to build beds for children
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Author: Graphic by Barton Publications

DRIPPING SPRINGS — Not every child has a safe and comfortable place to lay their head at night. Across the U.S., there are children who go to sleep without a bed or a pillow and are forced to sleep on couches, blankets or the floor.

That’s where Sleep in Heavenly Peace comes in — a group of volunteers who dedicate their time to build, assemble and deliver bunk beds to children and families in need. This year, the Dripping Springs Chapter of the Young Men’s Service League (YMSL) selected serving Sleep in Heavenly Peace as its Ultimate Gift.

The Dripping Springs Chapter of YMSL was established in 2017 to allow for mothers to spend more time with their teenage sons, while also making a difference in the community. YMSL offers leadership opportunities and a four-year curriculum in high school that covers topics such as strengths development, interview skills, cooking, leadership development and more.

“When your sons get to high school, they’re like, ‘Peace out, mom.’ They’re busy. It’s a way for us to spend time with them, but also teach them how to serve others in our community,” said Bassford, who is a member of the league with her 15-year-old son. “I love what it stands for. I really do have a servant’s heart and I love helping other people. I love that I get to teach my son that and when we are together, it's really awesome. I like to see that there are other moms and sons huddled together [for] the same purpose — serving for the greater good.”

“[For] the Ultimate Gift, we try to encourage everybody to come to this particular event to make the biggest impact that we could make. We choose, typically, one of the philanthropies that we already serve and we have [about] 100 that we serve in that area,” said Lesli Bassford, a member of YMSL, adding that a philanthropy will provide the league with projects that it will not be able to accomplish or make a big impact on without help.

There are approximately 30,000 children between Round Rock and San Marcos who do not have a bed right now, according to Sleep in Heavenly Peace TX-Austin Chapter Co-President Steve Gielda. With YMSL helping the organization as its Ultimate Gift this year, Bassford said that they will be able to build about 50 beds for children who do not have one.

YMSL partners with several philanthropies throughout the year, including the following:

• CC4C

• Central Texas Food Bank

• Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas

• Dripping Springs Community Mission Partnership DBA Hometown Missions

• Dripping with Hope (Ancora Ministries)

• EmilyAnn Theater

• Foster Village

• Helping Hands

• Hill Country Nursing and Rehab

• Hill Country Senior Citizens Activity Center

• Hill Country Senior Citizens Thrift Store

• Marbridge

• Operation Turkey

• Patriots’ Hall

• Red Arena

• Red Oak Hope

• Service Dogs, Inc.

• Sleep in Heavenly Peace

• South Side Community Center

• Special Olympics

• Texas Ramp Project

• The Dr. Pound Farmstead

• The Burke Center For Youth/Pathfinders Ranch

• Wreaths Across America

Members of the Dripping Springs Chapter of YMSL will be helping build beds on Jan. 20, 2024 and delivering them on Feb. 3. It is currently accepting donations for its bedding drive through Jan. 17. Those who are interested in purchasing a bedding set to help YMSL serve Sleep in Heavenly Peace can view the Amazon Wish List at bit.ly/47P8JeS.

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