Families with kids that are transitioning out of homelessness will have one less thing to worry about purchasing because of a donation of 100 new beds.
About a dozen volunteers at HopeWorks early Tuesday unloaded a trailer truck that contained a mixture of twin-, full- and queen-size beds, including box springs and metal frames.
The mattresses were donated to HopeWorks through JustServe, a program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and were made by Deseret Industries of Salt Lake City, an enterprise of the church, said JustServe spokeswoman Jolene Wolfley.
The average value of each bed set is about $300, and the cost of shipping was another $10,000. In total, the donation was worth about $40,000, Wolfley said.
HopeWorks executive director, Greg Morris, said he was grateful for the generous donation. “Partners like the LDS Church are critical to our mission of housing people.”
HopeWorks houses more than 400 individuals and families each year, he said. Many of them are among the most vulnerable, including people who are chronically homeless, fragile and have mental and behavioral health issues.
The placements are based on referrals from partner agencies, such as S.A.F.E. House, Barrett House, the state Children, Youth and Families Department, and Albuquerque Public Schools, Morris said.
“A brand new bed for a family who has been homeless is more than just a bed,” he said. “It gives them a sense of stability, a sense of home, and it is something that is theirs. Many of these people have never owned a brand new bed, and I’ve seen it bring families to tears. It’s powerful.”
HopeWorks is a nonprofit that provides resources, opportunities and hope to homeless people. Formerly known as St. Martin’s Hospitality Center, HopeWorks offers shelter services, behavioral health services, employment training and housing for the homeless.
HopeWorks just broke ground on construction of Hope Village, what will be a 42-unit permanent supportive housing complex for the chronically homeless.
Located at Third and Mountain near Downtown Albuquerque, adjacent to HopeWorks’ day shelter, the three-story, 38,000-square-foot building will consist of furnished one-bedroom apartments with on-site staff and amenities, as well as on-site supportive services such as medical care, and mental and behavioral health services.
Construction is expected to be completed in August 2021.
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