I spend an absurd amount of time on social media, gathering tidbits of knowledge, stumbling across unusually named products like Bad Ass Extension Cords, taking the industry’s temperature based on my customized-for-me-and-not-anybody-else algorithmically refined feeds, and reading comments in several Facebook groups I’m in.
This story, about Mike Rowe’s returned favor and a charity called Sleep in Heavenly Peace, took up a few column-inches on my screen one day and I thought it worth sharing.
First, what are we talking about here? Rowe's "Returning The Favor" did an episode, which you can watch on Facebook, with SHP. SHP is a charity started by Luke Mickelson in Idaho that builds bunk beds for kids who are otherwise sleeping on the floor. It started out of a garage and was only supposed to be a one-off deal: 11 bunk beds made from scrap lumber he had in his garage.
They’re now up to nine chapters, having discovered a need that they didn’t know existed—kids sleeping all kinds of places other than in beds. One of the carpenters in the Facebook group I’m in mentioned that he had a chapter near him and decided to help out. He said they ran a tight ship and it wasn’t a scam or waste of time.
All these bunk beds appear to be built with basic framing lumber by DIYers and volunteers who don’t know what we know nor do they have a truckload of tools.
So, if you decide to spend a weekend with your tools, this might be a worthwhile place to plug in and do some carpentry for a cause. Here’s a link to find out more.
And I think Mike Rowe is right that people who have the bandwidth and the heart to give of themselves are slightly better than you and me. Well, me anyway. I’m not involved with this or any charity and I should change that.
