Helping More Families Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Far too many of our neighbors do not have a proper bed to sleep in and are laying down each night on the floor, on couches, or doubling up in a bed with family members. Through the Rahe Bed Program, SVDP provides twin and full-sized beds at no cost, helping to ensure more children, families and individuals can get a good night’s sleep.

In 2021, the Clothing & Home Resource Center, located on the ground floor of SVDP’s Liz Carter Center, became the central access point for bed distribution. That same year, SVDP secured resources to double the number of beds distributed, as we continued to recognize the importance of sleep for the health, safety and dignity of our neighbors.

Any neighbor, whether they are served by our Social Services team or by Vincentians in one of our Conferences, can now come to the Clothing & Home Resource Center to redeem vouchers for new bed frames, mattresses, and mattress covers.

SVDP is always looking for ways to improve its service model for our neighbors, and as we expanded this program, we worked to address the challenges many neighbors were facing to transport beds across town. Beginning in January, we have added another improvement to our Rahe Bed Program: new, compact mattresses that come rolled-up in boxes measuring less than 3.5 feet wide. These mattresses are packed compactly enough to be transported in a regular sedan, and we have even had several successful transports by neighbors utilizing the bus.

Since implementing these new mattresses and bed frames, we have seen an increase of 34% more neighbors accessing and transporting their beds. Additionally, the new, compact bed models are easier to deliver for our volunteers, including Vincentians and the Mighty Men of Crossroads Church, who deliver beds on a monthly basis from the Liz Carter Center to neighborhoods across our city.

Your donation today can help provide a bed for a neighbor in need. If you would like to contribute, please donate online at www.SVDPcincinnati.org/give.