Stories

Beds for Kids Celebrates 10 Years of Helping CLT Families Dream Bigger 
Written by Eden Estabrook

Can you imagine bedtime without a bed? 

That’s the question Beds for Kids co-founders, Daniel Fogarty, Brandon Holmes, and Tim Rowley, asked when they realized that the family they were delivering furniture to was one of thousands who were moving into housing and were in need of beds and other essential furniture. In 2011, Beds for Kids officially became a 501(c)3 non-profit serving the local CLT community.  



10 years later, that question is still inspiring the staff and volunteers at Beds for Kids. On August 14, 2021, Beds for Kids celebrated 10 years in the CLT community and the grand opening of their new warehouse on 4200 Barringer Rd. I had the honor of attending the celebration and SHARING the experience with y’all!

Mayor Vi Lyles, Executive Director Malcolm Graham, and Volunteer & Church Partnerships Manager Kevin Warren were just three of the speakers on-site for the celebration - acknowledging those who helped make Beds for Kids possible these past 10 years and speaking words of encouragement for those who carry on the mission to this day.  

Executive Director Malcolm Graham reminisced on the start of his time at Beds for Kids, just weeks before COVID-19 forced them to send staff home for a few weeks. In fact, in one of his presentations, he said it was “one of his first decisions as Executive Director to send people home for two weeks.” Thankfully, it didn’t end there. They got operations back up and running, safely, and were able to continue their work in the community.   

 Malcolm Graham, Executive Director of Beds for Kids

As if navigating the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t challenging enough, then came the warehouse move. Malcolm explained, “Imagine moving a house… Now imagine moving a whole warehouse.” He further shared that over 350 volunteers came through their warehouse in a two-week period to help them make the move. And the excitement for the new warehouse on 4200 Barringer Rd was evident. It’s a bigger space that will allow them to hold more furniture. It has multiple bathrooms (which may seem small, but it’s a BIG deal, considering the bathroom capacity at their last warehouse) and a bigger loading/unloading dock that will make their day-to-day work more efficient.  

Beds for Kids has made so much progress in the last 10 years. And they can’t do what they do without the support of the community. As they look ahead to the next 10+ years, they need your help! Here are a few ways to support Beds for Kids: 

• Volunteer your time: Come spend time in their warehouse or go on a client family delivery 
• Make a financial contribution: Furnish futures by making a monetary donation to Beds for Kids 
• Donate beds & furniture: Call or email info@bedsforkids.org  to schedule a pick up of new or gently used furniture items you no longer need 
• Make welcome home baskets: Collect and assemble baskets that families will receive upon delivery 
• Collect bed kits: Provide comfort and warmth to our families by collecting new bedding - such as pillows, sheet sets, and blankets. 
• Distribute marketing materials: Raise awareness within your community using our marketing pieces 
• Donate your party: Hosting a party? Make Beds for Kids a beneficiary of the event and donations will go towards impacting our client families. 

Or, just contact Kevin Warren and talk to him about how to get involved: kwarren@bedsforkids.org 

Congratulations Beds for Kids! Here’s to another 10 years of delivering dreams!