When you have children, bedtime is for stories, stuffed animals, tucking under the covers and settling in for a good night’s rest at the end of the day, usually after that one last sip of water or another goodnight kiss. But when you don’t have a bed, and have to sleep on a floor or a couch, that night can be long and restless. Recent studies have shown consistently that children who sleep one hour or more less than their required total sleep time each night have twice the rates of ADHD, three times the rate of language and spatial deficits, and significantly lower scores on measures of sustained attention. Operation Bed Spread is trying to make sure that isn’t a problem for our local children and families in the Golden Isles.
Rees Carroll, a St. Simons Island resident and University of Georgia graduate, was volunteering as a mentor for local school children when he discovered that there were many kids, and parents too, that didn’t have beds or a warm place to sleep at night. He started doing what he could to help, and in 2012 was inspired to address the need he was seeing. He told the men in the Bible study group at St. Simons United Methodist Church that he had been asked to join by friends Joey Baldwin and Dan Meyers. Together, they got Operation Bed Spread (OBS) off the ground. The church and pastor Marcia Cochran have continued to be instrumental in the growth of OBS. Both Baldwin and Meyers are board members of the now 501(c)(3) qualified non-profit organization, and Rees heads up the operation with the extra time afforded to him by Mullet Bay when he’s not tending bar.
Operation Bed Spread Board members Joey Baldwin and Dan Meyers with founder Rees Carroll, and Jimmy Seaman of A-1 Cleaning & Restoration
“The amount of need has been the most surprising thing…by far,” says Rees. “None of us had any idea there were so many children and parents that are sleeping on floors and couches. It’s been eye-opening.” Rees says that they may get requests for anywhere from 5 to 25 beds per week. When an individual calls for a bed, Rees says, “I try to call and talk to them to get a feel for their situation. If we are able to help, we do. If they've mustered up the strength to ask someone else for help getting beds for their children or themselves (used beds, at that) then that's good enough for me.” At the date of printing, the men have delivered 412 beds.
Donations of mattresses are necessary to keep operations going. They’ll pick up donations and all are thoroughly steam-cleaned by Jimmy Seaman of A-1 Cleaning and Restoration, another key player on the OBS team. Rees says, “We are in desperate need of twin and full size mattress and box springs. We sometimes accept queens, but do not take king sized mattresses. Stains don't matter, as long as they are not too bad. Jimmy's steam cleaning removes most and makes sure the mattresses are clean.”
OBS has other helping hands as well. Rees shares that Hello Goodbuy been wonderful, letting them have any beds or frames that they get, when OBS has requests and First United Methodist Church of Brunswick provides the office space and warehouse and storage. Rees says OBS would never have made it if not for Jimmy and that church stepping up the way they have.
In turn, Operation Bed Spread also helps local ministries and organizations like DFCS, Safe Harbor, Gateway, and Glynn County Schools. Rees says that the hardest part of the Operation Bedspread is not being able to do more. “I'd like to be able to get to everyone who is waiting for one or whose call has not yet been returned, which, when combined, is well over 100 beds needed.” He explains, “If people need beds, then that's usually just the tip of the iceberg. However, we do what we can and refer families to other organizations if there are issues with which we cannot address.” And if that isn’t enough, Rees is also trying to get OBS up and running in Athens.
Rees says the greatest reward is the happiness of the recipients and the gratefulness of the kids and parents. “It's such a wonderful feeling, thinking that you may have made a difference in someone's life. The kids have done more to help me than I could ever do to help them.”
Monetary donations are always welcome, and all donations are tax deductible. They also need volunteers. Rees says, “Any type of help is needed and appreciated. We need so many basic things to keep this running and, hopefully, growing. We are planning a fundraiser for the spring and will keep everyone updated on the Operation Bed Spread Facebook page and group page.”
If you have a bed or bedding to give or to volunteer/donate, call OBS at 912.217.9072. You can also donate via PayPal through the link on the Operation Bed Spread Facebook page (facebook.com/OperationBedSpread/).
Thanks to the awareness raised through OBS by Rees and everyone there, we will not take the simple pleasure of a soft bed for granted when we lay our heads down on our pillows tonight.
