March 20, 2025
The Summit today announced a two-year, $30,000 commitment to Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) chapters in Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse.
$10,000 will be dispersed to each of the three SHP chapters over the next two years ($5,000 in 2025, $5,000 in 2026) to assist in supporting their mission of ensuring that no kid sleeps on the floor in our towns and cities. The financial gift across all three organizations will total $30,000.
All children deserve a safe, comfortable place to lay their heads. Across the US, too many boys and girls go without a bed – or even a pillow – to sleep on. These children end up sleeping on couches, blankets, floors, and even piles of dirty clothes. What started as a local mission to help neighbors became an international movement. Today, SHP has grown to 350 chapters, with thousands of dedicated volunteers who have built, assembled, and delivered more than 260,000 beds to children in need. With child bedlessness affecting approximately 2-3 percent of children in communities across America, the math is clear: millions of children still need the help of SHP.
The Summit’s President and CEO, Laurie Baker commented, “The Summit is committed to making a difference in the communities that we serve. A comfortable and safe place to rest is a basic need which many children in our regions simply don’t have. Lack of a restful night’s sleep affects overall health, happiness, and the ability to learn and thrive. By partnering with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, we will be able to make an immediate impact on the lives of children and their families.”
“We want to thank The Summit Federal Credit Union for their continued support, commented Donna Ritchie, President of the Rochester Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. “Their generous donation will provide beds to over 40 children in the Rochester area who don’t have a safe, cozy place to sleep at night. We look forward to partnering with The Summit to provide sweet dreams for local kids.”
“SHP Buffalo is dedicated to serving children throughout the city, bringing comfort and joy with every bed we deliver,” said Jerry Sheldon, President of Sleep in Heavenly Peace Buffalo. “The smiles and hugs we receive from these kids are the greatest reward for both our volunteers and sponsors. Thanks to The Summit’s generous donation, we’ll be able to spread that happiness even further, ensuring more children in our community have a safe, comfortable place to sleep.”
“We greatly appreciate the support of The Summit Federal Credit Union to help us fulfill our mission that ‘No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town,’” remarked Kevin Dudash, Co-President of the Syracuse Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. “Through their kindness, we will be able to help improve the lives of even more children in our area and give them a bed of their own. We look forward to working and building with The Summit to help address the significant issue of child bedlessness.”
SHP delivers a complete bed to a child: frame, mattress, and all bedding tailored as much as possible to the tastes of the child. In addition to their financial support and bed builds in all three regions that The Summit serves, the credit union will host annual pillow and bedding drives in all its branches to which members will be able to contribute.