In 2013, many of the agencies participating in the Furniture for Families program asked if we could provide beds for the children of the clients being referred.  We were always able to provide a bed for the client but not for their children.  We did not want to give the children used beds. We located a local manufacturer, Albion Bedframes, that could provide us with a bed and mattress at a reasonable cost. 

With the help of some foundations, individual donors, and corporate sponsors we were able to begin the Beds for Kids program in July 2013.  One corporate sponsor, Minute Men Staffing, offered to underwrite a fundraising event, Inside the Park Home Run, for the program.  We just held our 10th event, all but one at Progressive Field, that has provided over half of the 10,000 + beds we have given to children in Northeast Ohio in 10 years.  The program continues to be blessed with the support of many individual donors over the years. 

In early June, we gave away the 10,000th bed.  The child who received it was the son of Robert and his wife.  They, and their five children, had moved to Cleveland in January 2023 from Rhode Island to seek better opportunities.  Through the help of St. Martin de Porres, they were able to find suitable housing and were referred to the Furniture for Families program to receive the furnishings they needed for their home.  Besides the beds for their children, they received 20 other furniture items to make their house into a home.  Robert and his wife were so grateful for the support they had received since moving to Cleveland and extremely happy about all the furniture they received, especially the beds for their children.