CINCINNATI — Thousands of children in the Tri-State area don't have a bed of their own to sleep on, and now you can help solve this ongoing issue.
WCPO 9 is hosting a telethon Wednesday, Aug. 23, to raise funds to support St. Vincent de Paul's Bed Program. Funding from this telethon will help provide beds to kids as a new school year begins.
For those interesting in donating, donations of any size can be made by calling 513-840-WCPO (513-840-9276) from 4-7 p.m. For those that cannot call, donations may also be made any time online. You can click here to do so.
Donations of $175 provide a complete bed set for someone in need.
The telethon comes after WCPO 9 teamed up with St. Vincent de Paul and Morris Home Furniture to gift 50 children in the Tri-State beds of their own for the annual Hope to Dream event.
Each bed came with a box spring, a stuffed animal, a backpack filled with school supplies, and bedding.
“There are a lot of people in our community who don’t have their own bed,” said St. Vincent de Paul Marketing Manager Kristen Gallagher.
Gallagher said they see kids sleeping without a bed all the time.
“This is something at St. Vincent de Paul we see when we do home visits with families. There are a lot of children unfortunately when we go into the homes who may be sleeping on the floor on blankets, they’ve pulled cushions off the couch and may be sleeping on the floor or even just multiple children sharing beds or children and parents sharing beds,” Gallagher said.
From that concern Hope to Dream was born. The event celebrated its seventh year in 2023.
“We know that there are kids in need and we sell furniture to people who are fortunate to purchase those, but we also understand there are people who are not fortunate enough to purchase mattresses,” said Morris Home Furniture Regional Sales Director Joshua Thorpe.
St. Vincent de Paul provides beds to those in need year-round through the nonprofit's bed program. In 2023, St. Vincent de Paul has provided beds to 600 children and 1,200 people overall. To learn more about St. Vincent de Paul's bed program, you can call 513-421-0602.
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