Sleeping Children Around the World
A global community of volunteers and supporters giving hope and joy to children in need by providing bedkits for a good night’s sleep.
Update October 28, 2024 We appreciate your on-going patience in waiting to receive your bedkit photo(s), as we work our way through the 2 year backlog of donations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We promise that 100% of your donations will ultimately be delivered as bedkits to the children!
Sleeping Children Around the World
A global community of volunteers and supporters giving hope and joy to children in need by providing bedkits for a good night’s sleep.
Update October 28, 2024 We appreciate your on-going patience in waiting to receive your bedkit photo(s), as we work our way through the 2 year backlog of donations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We promise that 100% of your donations will ultimately be delivered as bedkits to the children!
PARTNERING COUNTRIES
Bedkits
Each $40 donation provides one bedkit consisting of: mat or mattress and bedding, mosquito net to prevent malaria, school supplies, clothing. Bedkit contents vary from country to country depending upon local needs.
Bedkits
Each $40 donation provides one bedkit consisting of: mat or mattress and bedding, mosquito net to prevent malaria, school supplies, clothing. Bedkit contents vary from country to country depending upon local needs.
Sleeping Children Around the World provides bedkits to children in need, 50% girls and 50% boys, between the ages of 6 and 12, regardless of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, colour, gender, or physical or mental disability.
Bedkits are manufactured or purchased overseas by our Overseas Volunteer Partners (OVPs) - local organizations and individuals - who use their knowledge and expertise to pick the best bedkit items for the children living in that area. Producing bedkits locally provides additional benefits such as employment for dozens of workers, virtually no transportation costs, and strengthened communities.
Sleeping Children Around the World has helped more than 1.8 million children in 36 countries experience healthy sleep through the gift of a bedkit.
"Sleep is like magical fuel for children. It has the power to make them feel better, think better and play better. Let's give the magic of sleep to every child every night." - Dr. Reut Gruber, PhD Psychologist Full Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University ; Director, Attention Behavior and Sleep Lab, Douglas Research Centre, Psychologist at Douglas Mental Health University Institute
Volunteers
Sleeping Children Around the World is operated by volunteers, from the processing of donations to the distribution of bedkits. This ensures 100% of every bedkit donation reaches a child in need.
Volunteers
Sleeping Children Around the World is operated by volunteers, from the processing of donations to the distribution of bedkits. This ensures 100% of every bedkit donation reaches a child in need.
Everything that is done at Sleeping Children Around the World is done for the children. Volunteerism is the foundation of Sleeping Children. The commitment of over 2000 volunteers worldwide enables Sleeping Children Around the World to realize the vision of a world in which every child begins a day of hope after a good night’s sleep.
Volunteerism also allows Sleeping Children to keep its promise that 100% of every bedkit donation reaches a child in need.
OVERSEAS VOLUNTEER PARTNERS
Partners in the country of distribution are advocates for the children in their communities. They work to support children with the greatest needs, organize the manufacture of bedkits, select and package bedkit items, arrange the logistics of the distributions, and assemble detailed Distribution Evaluation and Financial Reports. Our global community is strengthened through the collaboration between our Overseas Volunteer Partners and our Sleeping Children Team Volunteers.
The majority of Overseas Volunteer Partners are service clubs such as Rotary and other community-based organizations – locals who want to build a better future for children.
Overseas Volunteer Partners work for months to prepare for the bedkit distribution, devoting their time and personal resources. Without their volunteer commitment, Sleeping Children’s vision could not be realized.
TEAM VOLUNTEERS
Team Volunteers support our Overseas Volunteer Partners in the distribution of the bedkits. When Sleeping Children Team Volunteers travel overseas, they do so at their own expense and without benefit of a tax receipt.
Team Volunteers have a number of duties, including:
Educating themselves prior to travel in order to be respectful of the country’s culture, history and the effects of colonialism
Learning, unlearning, listening
Working alongside our Overseas Volunteer Partners in the distributing of bedkits
Learning the impact of the bedkit from conversations with the community members, families and children
Visiting cottage industries and manufacturers of bedkit items
Reviewing financial records to account for 100% of bedkit funds
Following Sleeping Children’s photography policy when taking photos of the children.
OFFICE AND ADMINISTRATIVE VOLUNTEERS
Office volunteers work out of the Sleeping Children Around the World office located in the west end of Toronto. They help with daily business affairs, process donations, issue tax receipts and organize and mail photos to donors. Volunteers are also involved with committee work and various project initiatives. We all work together to build our global community.