CINCINNATI, Sept. 1, 2022 – Seventy-five children in Greater Cincinnati now have a safe, comfortable place to fall asleep at night, after receiving a new bed through “Hope to Dream,” a partnership between St. Vincent de Paul, Morris Furniture Company, Ashley and WCPO 9. Children were selected to participate based on need.

On Saturday, August 27th, 75 children and their families arrived at the P&G Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy in Roselawn for a morning of activities and a meal from Chick-fil-A. Then, as over 100 volunteers cheered, a curtain lifted, revealing rows of dozens of beds – each, marked with the name of a child selected to receive it.

“Seeing the joy on each child’s face when they see a new bed with their name on it is truly heartwarming,” says Kristen Gallagher, Manager of Marketing & Communications for St. Vincent de Paul. “It is especially meaningful as we know many of these families have faced difficult circumstances recently – ranging from house fires, to financial struggles, and even overcoming homelessness. We are extremely thankful to each partner who helped make this special day possible.”

In addition to a complete bed set, which includes a twin-size bed frame, box springs, comforter, pillow and mattress donated by Morris Furniture Company, each child also received sheets from Standard Textile, a backpack filled with personal care items and school supplies from Park National Bank, a stuffed cow from Chick-fil-A of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, a hat from the Cincinnati Reds, and more. Thanks to the Mighty Men volunteer group of Crossroads Church, beds were personally delivered to each family’s home.

St. Vincent de Paul provides beds to neighbors in need, year-round, through its Bed Program. Through an awareness campaign and a phone bank hosted by WCPO 9 on Tuesday, Aug. 23, over $20,000 was raised for St. Vincent de Paul to provide even more beds for children throughout the year. Donations of $175 can provide a full bed set and may be made online anytime at SVDPcincinnati.org.

Additionally, throughout the year, a portion of all mattresses purchased at Greater Cincinnati locations of The Better Sleep Shop inside Morris Home Furniture & Mattress and Ashley locations help St. Vincent de Paul provide beds to families in need. The company has also launched a Test Rest campaign. A donation will be made for every test rest conducted in a Morris Home or Ashley showroom through Labor Day. No purchase is required.