Announcements
Social Committee
Connie Risch introduced herself as the new Social Committee Chair.
Connie asked that you contact her to share ideas or to join the Social Committee. If you don’t have a recent Member Handbook use this form for her contact information.
Practical AI Presentation by Patrick Arehart for November CNO 2.0 Meeting
The next CNO 2.0 meeting will be held on November 20 at 5:30 PM at Heavier Than Air Brewing Company. Patrick Arehart will present Practical AI, an overview of how artificial intelligence can be used in everyday work and personal projects.
CNO 2.0 Venue and Details
The venue for tonight’s CNO 2.0 meeting was Rumbleseat Wine, in the Cross Pointe Center (101 E. Alex Bell Rd #118 Centerville, Ohio 45459).
Connie Risch welcomed the members that came to tonight’s meeting. Connie thanked Chris and Urmila Holloway, the owners, and their team, for the great food, wine and space.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace – No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town
Diane Arehart introduced the guest speaker, Jeff Mogg, co-president of Sleep in Heavenly Peace of Montgomery County. Diane said the group’s mission is simple but powerful: no child should have to sleep on the floor. Jeff shared how volunteers are making that goal a reality.
Building Beds and Building Hope
Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a national nonprofit with more than 450 chapters in the United States and Canada. The Montgomery County chapter began in early 2023, delivered its first bed that May, and has built 2,000 beds fourteen months later.
The organization began about twelve years ago when a youth pastor learned that several children in his group had no beds. He and a friend built two, discovered how widespread the need was, and created a model that spread nationwide. “Three percent of kids don’t have a bed,” Jeff said. “That’s who we’re here for.”
Each bed is handcrafted from pine, sanded smooth, and stained with a vinegar and stain mix that discourages bed bugs. Every bed includes a new mattress, pillow, and bedding. Additionally, the Dayton Sewing Collaborative has sewn more than 300 colorful quilts sized for Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s twin beds.
Bed Builds and Local Support
Their largest build so far took place at Fairhaven Church, where 158 beds were completed in three and a half hours by roughly 160 volunteers. “It’s a blast,” Jeff said. “We bring the tools and generators. All we need are people.”
The group rents 4,000 square feet of space from St. Vincent de Paul in Dayton, which recognized how the mission fits its own and offered the space at a reduced rate. Volunteers have even trained on forklifts so they can unload materials themselves.
Delivering Comfort
Sleep in Heavenly Peace of Montgomery County currently has about 300 children waiting for beds. Deliveries take place on Thursdays for those available during the day and on Saturdays when no major build is scheduled. “We work about forty-seven Saturdays a year for free,” Jeff said with a grin. “Then I go watch my grandkids play soccer or cheer.”
Jeff shared stories that show what the work means. At one apartment, volunteers delivered and assembled beds for four children whose parents had nothing but mattresses on the floor. Afterward, the team stopped for lunch at a Bob Evans restaurant, still wearing their red SHP shirts. Their server, Emily, asked about the message on their shirts, and Jeff explained that they had just delivered new beds to children in need. Emily said her two sisters were foster parents and asked to see some pictures. When Jeff showed her photos from that morning’s delivery, she brought out another woman from the back of the restaurant. Her name was Precious, and she recognized the children in the photos as her own.
“That’s when we knew God was showing us He’s all over what we do,” Jeff said.
Another delivery was to a mother of five whose husband had taken his own life. “We’re not just giving beds,” Jeff said. “We’re giving comfort, dignity, and a reminder that someone cares.”
Working Together
Sleep in Heavenly Peace partners with local organizations such as CarePortal, which connects churches to Job and Family Services for urgent needs like foster-care reunification or families escaping domestic violence. Anyone can apply for a bed through shpbeds.org by selecting Montgomery County OH from the dropdown list. No one is allowed to provide foster-care for kids unless they have beds for them.
Referrals also come from St. Vincent de Paul, Miami Valley Meals, and other nonprofits. Jeff hopes to help launch new chapters in Greene and Clark counties, where the need remains high.
Volunteers Who Make a Difference
Volunteers include retirees, veterans, and community members of all ages. A retired nurse once brought a white Christmas tree to a nearly empty home during her first delivery. Others now serve on a regular team Jeff calls a ministry of widowed men.
“If you just want to build beds, it’s a lot of fun,” he said. “But the real reward is when you deliver them.” Monthly and weekday builds are listed online for anyone who wants to help.
Thank You
Thank you, Jeff Mogg, for sharing how Sleep in Heavenly Peace is changing lives for children and families in Montgomery County, one bed at a time.