The Racine/Kenosha chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), an organization dedicated to building beds for children in need, Brian Nelson, Co-President of Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s Kenosha/Racine chapter, has been awarded the Community Impact Award by the Kenosha Area Business Alliance for his leadership in fighting child bedlessness in southeastern Wisconsin.
Since its founding in 2018, the chapter has delivered more than 3,300 beds to children in need. In 2025 alone, the chapter delivered 889 beds and achieved a historic milestone: clearing its waitlist for the first time in the chapter’s history.
Nelson’s journey with Sleep in Heavenly Peace began after watching an episode of Mike Rowe’s “Returning the Favor” that featured the non-profit’s work. “I thought about my own kids and just started thinking, what would that look like? How would that affect them if they had to sleep on the floor?” Nelson said. “It just really stuck with me.”
One week later, Nelson read about Mike Prudhom launching a local chapter and immediately offered his company’s facility, Bane-Nelson Inc., as a build location. “Neither of us understood the magnitude of what the problem really was,” Nelson said. “We had this idea that we’d build 10 or 15 beds and be done. The requests just started coming in.”
Today, the chapter receives 30 to 40 requests per month from families with children who don’t have proper beds. Between 20 and 150 community volunteers gather at the Bane-Nelson facility on weekends to build beds, which cost approximately $250 each to make.
The chapter’s impact extends beyond a good night’s sleep. Teachers have reported visible improvements in students who received beds, noting better focus and performance in school.
“Hearing stories like that – that’s the reason I do it,” Nelson said. “To hear that their lives are changing for the better … knowing that there are kids who are better off because of the efforts that we’ve made.” Nelson and his wife, Lori, also volunteer on Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s national build team, helping chapters across the country fight child bedlessness. “Our reward isn’t for us, it’s for the kids we serve,” Nelson said. “Seeing a kid’s face light up when they see their very own or first bed after sleeping on the floor is evidence of a mission completed.”
Upcoming Sleep in Heavenly Peace Events
2/14/2026 Community Bed Build
Saturday, February 14, 2026 – 4019 43rd St, Kenosha, WI 53144 Register Now
3/14/2026 Community Bed Build
Saturday, March 14, 2026 – 4019 43rd St, Kenosha, WI 53144 Register Now
Learn more about Sleep in Heavenly Peace and get involved at: shpbeds.org/chapter/wi-racine-kenosha and facebook.com/SHPBedsRacineKenosha
Featured Image Photo Credit: Sleep in Heavenly Peace & Kenosha Area Business Alliance
Other Ways to Support Sleep in Heavenly Peace
Donate Bedding
You can also donate new twin size sheets, pillows, and bedding items to our chapter.
Bedding Drop Off Locations
- The Diamond Connection, 5912 75th Street, Kenosha, WI, 53142
- Bane-Nelson Inc., 4019 43rd Street, Kenosha, WI, 53144
- RIC Electric, 1400 Rapids Drive, Racine, WI 53405
Checks can be mailed to:
PO Box 81614, Racine, WI 53408
About Sleep in Heavenly Peace
Sleep in Heavenly Peace is the leading 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to building and delivering beds to children in need. Our mission is simple: NO KID SLEEPS ON THE FLOOR IN OUR TOWN!® With thousands of children sleeping on floors, couches, or inadequate sleeping arrangements, we provide beds—a basic need that supports every child’s physical, emotional, and mental development. Fueled by volunteer kindness and donor generosity, we’re growing our impact across the U.S. and beyond so every child can Sleep Well and DREAM BIG. Learn more and get involved at shpbeds.org.
