South Jeff students busy building beds for kids

One saw the problem, the other had the skills to fix it, and a community came together to raise the money and put in the labor.

Students at South Jefferson Senior High School are building beds for children in the community who are now sleeping on mattresses and floors. The work is part of a project initiated by Michael A. Green, home-school transition coordinator at South Jefferson Central School, and Randy A. Shelmidine, teacher of the school's drawing, design and production class.

Ten of the beds are to be given to needy families in time for Christmas, Mr. Green said.

The idea came to him in September and sprung from what he'd found during home visits with students' families.

"There weren't any beds in the bedrooms; two kids were sleeping on really thin mattresses on the floor," he said.

Mr. Green spoke with Mr. Shelmidine, who embraced the idea of having students in his class work on a bed-building project. By November, the two had raised enough money to start ordering materials, Mr. Green said.

The South Jefferson Teachers Association was the biggest donor to the project, with other church and civic groups pitching in funding, too. Altogether, they raised about $3,500 for the project. O.D. Greene in Adams provided the lumber at cost.

Mr. Shelmidine designed the beds to be "inexpensive, strong and sturdy," he said.

Then the students got to work building. Five of the frames have been completed and five more will be finished shortly, Mr. Shelmidine said. Another 20 will be built after the holiday break.

Ten will be given to the Watertown Urban Mission, Mr. Green said.

"Beds are always a hot commodity here; we can never keep up with beds," said Mary M. Morgan, the mission's executive director. The beds will help the mission help families who are starting over in life, she said, whether it's after a residential rehabilitation program, an eviction or a fire.

At a reception Thursday that Mr. Green dubbed "Sleepless in South Jefferson," two beds were on display and students in Mr. Shelmidine's classes were treated to holiday cookies.

Brian J. Brown, 16, a sophomore in one of Mr. Shelmidine's classes, was among the 40 or so students who have worked on the project, Mr. Shelmidine said. Mr. Brown said he usually enjoys building things, but "you have more pride when you're able to do it for someone who doesn't have something."

He said he had put in some time after class to work on the project.

Mr. Shelmidine noticed enthusiasm and extra hours coming from some unexpected students on the project, since it's something they "can feel good about," he said.

Mr. Green is determining who will get the beds based on his knowledge of their need.

"When a kid comes to school dirty, all the counseling in the world's not going to help him," said Mr. Green. "Meeting basic needs like sleep and food and clothing helps them perform better in school."