For over 30 years, Cities 97.1 has been dedicated to helping local MN Charities and it’s no different in 2023.
This month as part of Cities Gives Back, we recognize My Very Own Bed. Sleep is essential to our health and wellbeing - as important as diet or exercise - and yet thousands of children in the Twin Cities are sleeping on the floor, on an air mattress, or with a parent or sibling. At My Very Own Bed they provide new beds to children of families who have recently experienced homelessness and since 2014 have provided over 6,000 children with new beds!
My Very Own Bed provides new beds and Dream Kits (which include bedding, books and stuffed animals) not only because these essential items reduce financial stress and help make the new house feel more like a home, but also because beds provide children with the opportunity to reap the amazing health benefits of improved sleep. Deep sleep helps children ward off infection, reduce stress, enhance their growth, and lower their risk of obesity and heart disease.
In their new beds, kids are sleeping better, which leads to improved mental and physical health, increased focus and better performance in school, and happier and more productive interactions with peers and siblings. Their goal is to provide at least 1,600 new beds and Dream Kits to kids in the metro this year.
My Very Own Bed’s biggest need right now is help filling all of the Dream Kits that accompany each child’s new bed. Every $100 raised packs another Dream Kit, which includes bedding, books and stuffed animals. Donors may also purchase new, twin-sized bedding items and drop them off at their office! To find out how you can get involved – click HERE (link to: https://www.myveryownbed.org/ )