The partnership between the new Families First Center and the school district’s Career and Technical Center is already paying off for local families who don’t have beds for everyone in their household.
Career Center students in Nick Doles’ construction class built three single wood-frame beds last week already designated to be delivered to Calhoun County families.
“The first one is actually for a tenth grader in the district who currently sleeps on a blanket on the floor because they don’t have enough beds for everybody in the house,” said Porter Casey, director of the Families First Center in Calhoun City. “We’re seeing these families with three or four kids in one house and they’re having some sleep on the couch, floor, wherever. For many of these families it comes down to, am I going to pay the light bill or get a bed to sleep on? When you’re trying to feed your family and keep them warm in the winter, these are the decisions people have to make and they do the best they can.”
The faith-based branch of Families First for Mississippi (FFFM) started the “Beds for Kids” program about a year ago and have delivered over 150 beds. Staff and volunteers have been working in donated space owned by Jacob Cunningham of Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Baldwyn to build the wooden frames.
“We knew of the program but didn’t know how they did it until our open house here (when the Calhoun Families First Center opened),” said Kyle Clark, Career Center director. “Stanley Huddleston (who is one of the leaders of the program) was telling us about it and I instantly thought we can do that here rather than them having to build them somewhere else and haul them down.”
Clark and Casey pulled Huddleston away from the open house for a tour of the woodworking class where nearly 40 students build an array of items including large park benches.
“It turned out we’re more equipped to do it on a bigger scale here with our students,” Clark said.
Huddleston and his team came down to the Career Center two weeks ago and helped assemble jigs and patterns that allow the students to cut all of the needed pieces out of lumber and then assemble the beds.
“This is perfect for our kids,” Doles said. “They’re experiencing all facets of the construction process with this. It all correlates with our woodworking classes.”
The students measure and cut the wood used to assemble the frames.
“They also get to use a router because we’re putting rounded edges on everything,” Doles said.
The twin beds are stained and assembled so they could be stacked and fastened for bunk beds or used as a single. They come apart in three pieces once finished to make delivery easier.
“It’s been a good experience for our kids and they have all enjoyed doing this,” Doles said.
It’s an experience that isn’t likely to go away. Casey said early indications are there is no shortage of need in the county and beyond.
“We have three completing their classes now so we can deliver the beds to them,” Casey said.
Each recipient of a bed is required to come to the center for an assessment and take three hours of classes such as “Parenting” and “Life Skills.”
“It’s all set up so they cane come do it in one day if they wish,” Casey said. “Transportation is a major issue for a lot of the people needing these services so we do all we can to make it simple. Through conversations thus far, we’ve heard of 10-12 more families that also need beds.”
“We’ve actually had some students who have said they don’t have a bed at home and they would like to build their own,” Clark said.
The program is currently focused on providing the needed beds for Calhoun families, but may fill a need in helping produce beds for the regional program as needed.
“We have room to build and store several beds at a time and have them ready whenever needed,” Clark said. “The program really does fit our capabilities perfectly.”
Casey said Huddleston will be present for the first deliveries as part of their organization’s ministry. He hopes to get Calhoun County churches involved to help meet those needs going forward.
“We’d love to get more churches involved in the process,” Casey said. “Any church, organization, and/or individual that wants to donate can do so with our office. We’re doing okay with the lumber, where we need the help is mattresses, sheets, pillows, all the bedding. That’s our only cost at this point.”
Casey said the initial clients were discovered through the assessment process they do with everyone who comes into the center.
“Within that initial assessment we inquire about the potential need for beds in the home,” Casey said.
Other potential clients have come through referrals from other individuals and/or organizations.
Casey said among the 10-12 families already identified as needing a bed(s), they also have needs for clothes, food, and more. All services Families First helps coordinate.
For more information call the Families First Center, located at 302 North Madison in Calhoun City, at 662-499-3350.