SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Can Seattle police break this record this year?
Sep 23, 2016, 6:45 PM | Updated: 11:19 pm
Seattle police's Beds for Kids effort is underway. They want to break a record this year. (Ron and Don, KIRO Radio)
(Ron and Don, KIRO Radio)
The Seattle Police Department is aiming to set a new record for 2016 — provide more beds for kids than it has ever done in the past.
“It happens quite often,” Seattle Officer Ryan Gallagher said of how often police come by children in Seattle without a bed to sleep on.
“Especially in some of the low-income communities,” partner Jeremy Wade added. “A lot of these kids are being cared for well. It’s just a low-income home and they just don’t have a lot of extra money for furniture. There’s plenty of these homes where there’s a couch in the house and maybe that’s the only piece of furniture we see.”
Every year, the Seattle Police Department organizes its Beds for Kids program. It was started after the two police officers noticed two kids without beds on a call they responded to in Seattle’s Central District. The officers went out and purchased some beds for those children. Word got out about the good deed, and it evolved into an annual charity.
Last year, Seattle police grew its Beds for Kids program to just over 100 donated beds. This year, Seattle police are attempting to provide 150 beds for local children who don’t have a place to sleep. Officers ran fundraisers and raised about $15,000 to get the beds. KIRO Radio’s Ron and Don Show have gotten involved in the effort and brought in Sleep Train, which will provide all the mattresses for the beds.
How to reach Beds for Kids
If you know of a child without a bed at all in Seattle, call 360-602-1148 to get a hold of Seattle police, who can provide a bed. More information can be found at seattlepolicefoundation.org. You can also donate to the effort through the website.
The deadline to request a bed is Oct. 18. On Nov. 15, Seattle police officers will take all the beds they have collected and deliver them to families in town.
People outside of Seattle can opt for a bed, too. Seattle police ask that if you live outside of Seattle, organize a method to pick up the bed in town.
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