It’s a basic comfort most people take for granted, yet every night there are hundreds of children across the region sleeping on floors and couches because they lack beds of their own.

Let’s Build Beds is a local nonprofit established to address the issue by building and delivering beds to children ages 3 to 17 across northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. Staffed entirely by volunteers, the organization partners with churches and civic communities to host building events capable of producing as many as 60 beds in four hours.

A good night’s sleep
Let’s Build Beds has delivered more than 1,800 beds into the community since it was founded three years ago by Dan Pellizzari & Mike and Shawna Horvath.

“We saw that it was very important for children to have a bed of their own and be able to get a good night’s sleep,” says Mr. Pellizzari. “Having a bed provides them with a secure place every night where they can lay down, and that’s where they can begin to build their dreams, whether it’s the dream of the next day or the dreams of their future.”

It can also improve a child’s self-esteem and his or her ability to learn in school, he adds.

Most people are surprised when Mr. Pellizzari, who serves as director of marketing, tells them the organization has a waiting list of more than 600 kids who need beds. They are currently delivering between 15 and 30 beds every week, roughly equal to the number of requests they receive in the same period of time.

Back to building
While the pandemic temporarily paused their deliveries of beds last year, the nonprofit is now back to holding regular building events with social distancing protocols in place. Partner organizations that host the builds raise funds and collect donations to offset the costs of materials.

Mr. Pellizzari notes that Let’s Build Beds welcomes skilled and unskilled volunteers of all ages and abilities to their building events. “Everybody can bring something to the table,” he says. “Some of things that we’ve learned about improving the build process, we’ve learning from children as young as six years old.”

Beds are made on an assembly line with stations for tasks such as routering, sanding, drilling, assembling and branding each bed with the organization’s logo. Mr. Pellizzari says volunteers are always willing to help each other learn how to use new tools. Those interested in working a build can visit the organization’s Facebook page to view upcoming events. Mr. Pellizzari says volunteers sign up for shifts in two-hour increments, but often end up staying longer because they find they enjoy the experience so much.

Hope for expansion
Every finished bed includes a wooden headboard, footboard and two side rails. Let’s Build Beds also provides the mattress, sheets, blankets, pillows and comforter to go with each bed.

The nonprofit serves Lucas County and all its bordering counties. Mr. Pellizzari encourages anyone who needs a bed or knows a family that needs a bed for a child to contact them through a Facebook message or their website contact form.

Mr. Pellizzari expresses hope for seeing the charity expand beyond its initial mission of building and delivering beds to find more ways to help children grow, such as by developing a mentoring program to teach teens about the business side of the organization. He says they are eager to build partnerships among nonprofits with shared interests, and he welcomes contacts from organizations interested in hosting build events or supporting Let’s Build Beds in other ways.

To learn more, visit the organization’s website or Facebook page.

Boy Scouts of America is one of those organizations that just about everyone knows at least a little about. Whether it be from their camps, popcorn sales, Pinewood Derby or community service, Boy Scouts of America have made their name known in the Toledo area. And recently, the Erie Shores Council of Boy Scouts of America have had some exciting projects developing. 

Building a bridge to the future
Camp Miakonda is a staple for the Scouts of Erie Shores Council, and is the sixth oldest Boy Scout camp in the country. The current project that is getting underway at Miakonda is somewhat bittersweet. 91 years ago, the famed Miakonda bridge was built by the Terminal Railroad Company and Lucas County. Ever since groups of Scouts have crossed that bridge to get to Camp Miakonda. Unfortunately, due to structural issues, the bridge will be torn down this spring. 

A new bridge will be built in its place and construction will be starting at the end of March. It is expected to take two months to complete. Contech Engineered Solutions will be constructing a free span metal bridge, and E.S. Wagner Co. is contracted to prep the area and use a crane to place the new bridge on new concrete abutments. The date of its grand opening or ceremony is still yet to be determined.

Scouts staying busy
Along with the bridge, the Scouts of Erie Shores Council have stayed busy with various projects this last year, and have hit some new milestones. Just a few months ago, Caroline Varner from Troop 9219 became the first female Eagle Scout in Erie Shores Council.

An Eagle Scout is the highest rank that a Scout can achieve, and as of 2019 only 8% of Scouts reach that level. To reach Eagle Scout level, Scouts have a set of requirements including completing a service project. According to Edward Caldwell, Scout Executive/CEO, Varner’s Eagle Scout project was transforming an old gazebo on the campus of Sunshine Communities into a wheelchair accessible rabbit hutch which will be used to house therapy rabbits for the residents. 

When asked about other Eagle Scout projects, Caldwell stated, “There are way too many to list. There were 85 Eagle Projects last year that included a total of 12,110 hour of service to complete the projects.” He also added that the Scouts have annual service work that they completed this past year such as Scouting for Food, tree planting, and Wreaths Across America, just to name a few. 

While we might be currently living through a pandemic, The Scouts of Erie Shores Council have found plenty of ways to stay busy and to continue their service to others over the last year. 

Adriana, 2020 Youth Leadership Delegate. Photo courtesy: Ability Center of Greater Toledo

The Ability Center of Greater Toledo has been helping individuals with disabilities live a more independent life for over one hundred years. One way that they’re currently aiding high school juniors and seniors is through the Youth Leadership Forum. The Forum has the ultimate goal of providing students with disabilities selected to attend with increased knowledge and understanding of self-advocacy, leadership, and independence to apply to their lives.

Changing times
The Youth Leadership Forum was developed by Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, and started as a statewide program in Columbus. However, as of last year, there was an expansion which regionalized the program.

This year there are eight different Centers for Independent Living— Toledo, Canton, Columbus, Dayton, Athens, Cincinnati and two in Cleveland. There are multiple Youth Leadership Forums, and students are encouraged to participate in the one closest to where they live. However, there is some flexibility with the event being virtual this year. The Toledo Forum, hosted by The Ability Center, will be held June 21-25.

According to Lisa Broseke, Youth Employment Coordinator at The Ability Center, the goal this year is to have 20 delegates. Anyone can apply to be a delegate, but along with the application the student must submit letters of recommendation and answer required essay questions. 

Along with submitting the required paperwork, applicants will also undergo an interview which helps selecting candidates. The process ensures that the twenty chosen students will take advantage of the experience and will use the program to learn and grow. 

A week of learning and fun
“Delegates will participate in activities and hear presentations on choosing career paths and how employment can lead to independence and enhance leadership and self-advocacy,” Broseke said. 

She also explained that the delegates will be choosing a Personal Leadership plan during the week which acts as a guide to developing goals in different areas, and helps get the students thinking about their futures and the impact they can have on their community. 

This year, the students will have the opportunity to work one on one with a mentor to help create goals for themselves. After leaving the forum, it is the hope that the delegates will work on reaching and implementing their goals

The Ability Center has a committee of teachers, advocates, alumni, and representatives from other disability agencies who will be helping create and implement engaging and exciting content for this year’s Forum. “Since we have a year of virtual programming under our belt, I’m much more confident in our ability to present an engaging event,” explained Broseke. 

For any juniors or seniors with a disability that are interested in applying for the Youth Leadership Forum, please visit www.abilitycenter.org/summeryouth/. The deadline is April 30th, so be sure to apply soon!