Manitoba Blue Cross is investing in warehouse space for a local non-profit that helps provide beds to children without a place to sleep.
The company has signed a five-year building lease for the local chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, allowing the non-profit to more than double bed production for children in the community.
“A warm, safe bed should not be a luxury – it is a fundamental right. That’s why Manitoba Blue Cross is stepping up to support Sleep in Heavenly Peace for years to come,” says Benjamin Graham, president and CEO of Manitoba Blue Cross. “We are providing essential resources that Sleep in Heavenly Peace needs to expand their operations and reach more children in the community. This investment aligns with our own commitment to support the health and well-being of all Manitobans, and we are proud to play an ongoing role in ensuring no child sleeps on the floor.”
The warehouse will provide the non-profit with the space they need to assemble, store and streamline their process. It will also give them a space to build beds in the colder months and give volunteers a more comfortable place to work.
“This generous support from Manitoba Blue Cross is a game changer for us,” says Jim Thiessen, co-president of the local chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. “This new space will allow us to drastically increase the number of beds we build and deliver, ensuring that more children in our community have a safe and comfortable place to sleep."
Sleep in Heavenly Peace currently builds around 400 beds a year. With this new building, they hope to increase that to 1,000.
This year, Manitoba Blue Cross will also hold its second annual charitable bed build event.
Employee volunteers from the organization, along with Sleep in Heavenly Peace volunteers, will construct 50 beds for local kids on June 6 at Blue Cross Park.
Ahead of the event, they are asking for support from the community and holding a bedding drive.
Anyone interested in helping out can donate new, twin-sized bedding items, including comforters, pillows and sheet sets, to their offices at 599 Empress Street until June 20. Donations can also be made online here.