Bringing Them Beds

Why Beds?

It all starts with a good night’s sleep. That’s the foundation for a good start and a healthy life. But what if you don’t have a bed? What if you sleep on a pallet on the floor with only a coat for a pillow? “We know our kids go to bed hungry,” says Pat Williams, one of the founders of ReStart Augusta who now serves as the volunteer CEO. “But where do they come from the night before.”

Enter ReStart Augusta, a non-profit started in January 2014 to provide beds for people who don’t have one. The first bed was delivered in May 2014, and as early September, ReStart had provided nearly 950 beds. It’s expected that they will deliver the 1,000th bed in October. The organization’s roots are in Columbia County, as the program was operated out of Wesley United Methodist Church prior to the approval as an independent non-profit.

It’s usually the one of the most expensive items someone needs immediately, and it’s the most requested item, she says.

“We can’t do everything. We thought we could make the most difference with this,” says Larry Dinkins, chairman of the ReStart Augusta Board of Directors and one of the organization’s most active volunteers. “If you’ve got a bed to sleep on you’re helped as soon as you get it. It’s an immediate pay-back.”

Many of those whom ReStart serves are veterans coming out of the Veterans Administration Hospital.

“They’re restarting their lives, but re-starting without a bed,” Williams says.

Gary Whited, another board of directors member and active volunteer, makes many of the bed deliveries for ReStart and sees first-hand the need. “Last February we delivered to a vet in South Augusta. When we got there he was sitting in a lawn chair in the yard. That was the only furniture he had,” Whited says.

The house had no heat, so the night before the veteran slept on the hard floor with only his coat for a pillow. While the ReStart volunteers were there, the gas company arrived to turn on the gas, so that night the man had a comfortable bed, clean bedding, a soft pillow and a warm house to sleep in.

 

More Than Beds

The ReStart volunteers have developed a unique system for providing the bedding. Twin and queen mattresses and box springs are purchased. Volunteers construct wooden frames that can be assembled on-site, and disassembled if the recipient moves later.

Some mattresses are donated, but only if they are good quality. “We don’t take anything we wouldn’t sleep in,” Dinkins says.

Clients also get bedding that’s been purchased new or gently used.

Referrals come from other social service agencies that determine needs and ReStart refers clients to other agencies as well.

“If you need a bed, you’re probably going to need more than that,” Dinkins says.

All of the work is done by volunteers. There’s no paid staff. Funds are raised through donations, grants and the support of Wesley United Methodist Church in Evans, which provided the foundation for ReStart, Williams says.

The building on Crawford Avenue in the Harrisburg community is rented and the organization relies on many in-kind donations. But mostly it relies on its 250-plus volunteers who build, paint, deliver, write grant applications, man the phones, collect donations, handle the paperwork, schedule work and deliveries, and everything else it takes to make sure as many people as possible who need a bed, have one. Boy and Girl scout troops volunteer and several companies use ReStart when looking for community service projects.

Even this well-oiled machine can’t fill all the needs. The demand is greater than the supply, Williams says. But they keep plugging away, honing the process to supply all they can.

Recently a local hotel undergoing a renovation, offered to donate its king-sized beds to ReStart, Williams says. King-sized beds don’t work well since many of the homes they deliver to are smaller. However, the boxsprings are the same width as a twin beds. So, the enterprising volunteers came up with a frame design that allowed the additional six inches of the longer boxspring to slide under the headboard for a perfect fit.

Williams says the biggest need now is for people to deliver the beds, which are delivered on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. All that’s needed to deliver is a truck and a few tools. Williams says they will teach the rest.

 

Learn More

To learn more about ReStart Augusta, visit the website at restartaugusta.org. Information about the organization, how to volunteer, how to donate your time, materials or organize a drive is available there.

Location:
ReStart Augusta
428 Crawford Ave.
Augusta, GA

Mailing address:
P.O. Box 370
Augusta, GA 30901

contact:
706-432-9373 [email protected]

This article appears in the October 2016 issue of Augusta Magazine.

Have feedback or a story idea? Our publisher would love to hear from you!

7 + 5 =

RSS Augusta Magazine’s Front Porch

  • Episode 11: Jay Jefferies
    Jay Jefferies stops by to deliver the weather and much more!
  • Episode 10 - Nesia Wright
    We had the pleasure of sitting down with Nesia Wright, owner and CEO of the Georgia Soul Basketball Team. Ashlee and Nesia discuss life as the owner of a basketball team, retirement and more.
  • Episode 9: Venus Morris Griffin
    Venus Morris Griffin, one of the top real estate agents in the Augusta area, stops by our front porch to talk about her success and her upcoming book. This episode is sure to set a fire in you to go for your dreams!
  • Episode 8: Michael Romano
    Michael Romano, self-proclaimed carbohydrate king and executive pastry chef for Edgar's Hospitality Group stopped by our front porch to chat with Ashlee.

E-Newsletter

Previous Issues

Related Articles

Bottled in Columbia County

Bottled in Columbia County

David Byrd is very passionate about his Columbia County home. He should be, considering his family’s history in the area. His father’s side of the family has been traced back to the 1700s, and his mother’s side has a long history, as well. “We have been here pretty...

Stay Cool This Summer!

Stay Cool This Summer!

Remember when summer vacations seemed to last forever? They still do if you’re the entertainment director for a young whippersnapper or two. On one hand, they would be perfectly content to sleep till the vicinity of noon, eat a bag of Cheetos for breakfast and then...

The Making of a Greenway

The Making of a Greenway

ANDREW STRICKLAND has a tough job. He is the director of Columbia County’s planning services division, a post he’s held for nearly two years now. What is his job description? In short, “It’s looking 10 to 20 years down the road.” And there is no crystal ball in his...