The YMCA of Coastal Georgia believes that all kids deserve a space to call their own and a place to dream. And since the launch of their "A Place to Dream" bed donation program, they have provided beds to hundreds of children in the Savannah and low-country area.
The program, started by the YMCA of Coastal Georgia in Savanna,h recently expanded to the Statesboro Family YMCA in December 2021, with the delivery of 10 bed sets, gift bags, and a bag of food items from Statesboro’s TMT Farms.
Grice Connect recently spoke with Hannah Beggs, Executive Branch Director at the Statesboro Family YMCA, to learn more about the program and its recent success in donating 8 beds to local children.
Background of YMCA "A Place to Dream" Program
Beggs states that Pastor Herb Hubbard was instrumental in the formation of the Savannah YMCA's "A Place to Dream Program", noting that,
"YMCA Pastor, Herb Hubbard, was a foster child and started this program in 2019 by identifying how many children were in need of a bed in Savannah. In terms of the program's expansion to Statesboro, Dorsey Baldwin, our previous Statesboro Branch Director, was able to talk to the Statesboro Housing Authority to help identify some of the children in need of beds in Bulloch County.
A few years ago, when we did a local survey of children in need of beds, 80 children were in need. Since then, as the cost of beds and materials have risen, more children are now in need of beds in Bulloch County. So, our ongoing goal with the program continues to be, 'how do we help to fill the need of beds for children in Bulloch County?"
8 beds delivered to local children
In 2024, the Statesboro Family YMCA's goal is to deliver 20 beds to local children in need. In January 2024, they were able to deliver 8 beds to local children in Bulloch County.
"During the first year of the program, we delivered and installed 10 beds for local children in Bulloch County. This year, our goal is to double that quantity and deliver 20 beds to local children," stated Beggs.
"In January 2024, we did our first bed drop and we planned to deliver 10 beds. However, we were only able to deliver 8 beds, as two of the families were no longer in need of a bed for their children. So for our next bed drop in April 2024, we are going to deliver 12 beds instead of 10. We plan on doing our bed drops biannually, however the more proceeds we raise, the more bed drops we will be able to do!"
Beggs continues by describing a heartfelt highlight from one of the bed drop deliveries.
"There are several highlights from this work as you can imagine, but one that sticks out is of a family's children who came up to us after their bed installation and said thank you for their new beds," Beggs said. "They went on to say that they were terrified of having to sleep in the dark on the sofa each night and were excited to have their own beds to sleep in. They had pillow fights on their beds after we installed it and expressed so much joy throughout the entire process. It was beautiful to witness!"
Beggs also went on to express that children getting quality sleep is necessary for supporting their overall performance in school.
"If you don't get a good night's rest, how are you going to do well in school?" she said. "Especially with our literacy rates as low as they are in Bulloch County, we have to do everything we can to ensure that our children are getting everything out of their education. I am passionate about the YMCA's 'A Place to Dream' program because we have to invest back into our community and our children who are our future. The work that we do through this program is immeasurable because we touch so many lives throughout this process."
Special thanks for the "A Place to Dream" Program
As with most charitable programs, A Place To Dream relies on the generosity of donors and volunteers to be successful.
"We have so many people to thank for the success of this program thus far, including several churches and community members," Beggs said. "However, Felicia Washington, our Vice Chair at the YMCA 'A Place to Dream,' program has played an instrumental role in this program's success. This cause is very important to her, and she goes out into the community rallying and raising funds for this wonderful program. We would like to thank the many organizations and community members who support our program as well."
YMCA Bed Donation Program
The application process for applying for "A Place to Dream" bed donation is a simple one.
Beggs shared, "To sign up for the program, you simply fill out a form for us to determine your eligibility. If families are filling out the form through the Housing Authority, the Housing Authority will help streamline and facilitate that process. For non-housing authority community members, there is a bit of an extra process to ensure that proper space requirements and criteria are met for eligibility. We also have paper and computer accessibility options here at the Statesboro Family YMCA to help families fill out forms."
"We fully deliver and install the bed to all bed recipients. We set up the bed frame, put sheets on it, and give children a book, a Bible, and some stuffed animals as part of a full installation process," she continued. "We have a donation link on our website for 'A Place to Dream' where organizations, churches, and individuals can donate as well."
Beggs says it costs approximately $400 for the bed and all the trimmings such as sheets, pillowcases, a bed frame, etc. All funds raised for A Place to Dream go directly to the support of the program and purchases of the beds. Lastly, all the beds are completely the same to ensure that each child gets the same bed and treatment.
"We encourage everyone to donate and play apart in this amazing program," Beggs said.
Interested in getting involved? For information on volunteering, please contact Herb Hubbard or call 912.354.5480.
Make a gift here to support A Place to Dream. Click here for a downloadable information sheet.
For more information on "A Place to Dream", visit https://www.ymcaofcoastalga.org/aplacetodream or contact the Statesboro Family YMCA at (912) 225-1962.
