URGENT: BEDDING DRIVE FOR ORPHANS IN HAITI EARTHQUAKE

Sweet Sleep Collecting Blankets, Mats, and More 

for Thousands of Displaced and Newly Orphaned Children

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (January 18, 2010) – Right now, the people of Middle Tennessee can help the youngest victims of the earthquake in Haiti by donating bedding supplies to the island nation’s many orphans. Sweet Sleep, an international nonprofit organization headquartered in Nashville, is hosting an emergency bedding drive at two locations in Williamson County.

More than 2,000 displaced or newly orphaned children are currently being moved to a safe location on six acres of land outside of Port-au-Prince by The Global Orphan Project. Sweet Sleep is a partner in this effort and is now collecting blankets, sheets, mats (camping, yoga, school, straw, etc.), and other bedding items to be delivered to these children so they have a place to sleep.

BEDDING DRIVE FOR HAITIAN ORPHANS
Location #1:  Cool Springs Galleria
Sears Parking Lot
Franklin, Tenn.
Wed., January 20
10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Location #2:  Brentwood Baptist Church
7777 Concord Road
Brentwood, Tenn.
Today – Wed., January 20          

All donations should be new or in like-new condition. Bibles will also be accepted. Items will be shipped to Miami, where they will be loaded into a freighter for Haiti on Friday.

Even before the earthquake, there were an estimated 800,000 orphans in Haiti, which is why Sweet Sleep expanded its global mission to include the impoverished nation late last year. The organization’s work with these children is not limited to the earthquake recovery effort but will continue for years to come.

Middle Tennesseans who are unable to participate in the bedding drive can still assist the effort with a monetary donation. Simply visit www.sweetsleep.org/donate and type “HAITI” in the special comments box.

Sweet Sleep is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Sweet Sleep is a member of the ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability), which is dedicated to helping Christian ministries earn the public’s trust through adherence to their standards of responsible stewardship. Sweet Sleep is registered with Guidestar, which provides information that advances transparency in nonprofit practice in order to encourage charitable giving.

Sweet Sleep is a Nashville-based nonprofit organization which provides beds to the world’s orphaned and abandoned children. According to recent estimates there are more than 210 million orphans worldwide, and every day 5,760 more children become orphans. Sweet Sleep works closely with indigenous staff as well as U.S. churches and businesses to provide beds and bedding with a goal of providing “a bed for every head.” Since 2003, Sweet Sleep has provided thousands of beds for orphans in Moldova, Haiti, and Uganda.

For more information about Sweet Sleep, visit www.sweetsleep.org.

photo courtesy of nytimes.com