Student volunteers work on bed frames during the Feb. 20 bed build at the Skybarn on South Campus. (Photo by Amy Manley)
A Place to Rest Their Heads: Students Build 116 Beds for Syracuse Children
The sound of drills, hammers and sanders filled the Skybarn on South Campus on Feb. 20, as 141 student volunteers came together to build beds for children in the Syracuse community who don’t have one to call their own.
The partnered with the Syracuse chapter of to work toward SHP鈥檚 mission, 鈥淣o kid sleeps on the floor in our town.鈥
Throughout the day, the energy inside the venue was upbeat. Students who had never picked up a power drill were guided by more experienced SHP volunteers, sawdust collecting on sneakers as bed frames took shape across the floor.
Over the course of two two-hour shifts, volunteers built 116 bed frames, surpassing the goal of 100 and more than doubling what was done during the inaugural build in 2024. There was laughter, encouragement and a shared sense of purpose that organizers said made the day unlike anything they had experienced before.
A Growing Commitment
The growth of the program has been striking. When SUVO first partnered with SHP on a 2024 build, the group completed 44 beds. In 2025, that number jumped to 88. This year’s total of 116 represents not just a record, but a reflection of deepening commitment across campus.
Students from a wide range of programs and organizations showed up to help, and novel fundraising efforts, such as pie-in-the-face events, helped cover the cost of materials. The planning team included SUVO President Ava Portney 鈥26, Vice President Ryan Edwards 鈥26, Secretary Lara Sare 鈥26 and Treasurer Cody Wade 鈥26.
Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens 鈥85 stopped by and addressed volunteers, drawing a direct line between a good night’s sleep and a child’s ability to reach their potential. She noted that 10% of students in the Syracuse City School District lack a permanent address.
“No one’s potential is defined by where they live,” Owens said, “but their ability to be prepared to be the best they can be definitely is affected by how they live.”
She thanked the Syracuse students on behalf of the entire city, telling them the experience of giving to someone who may not be empowered to give to themselves would stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Portney said the eagerness she witnessed among student volunteers was inspiring and proof that community, even in discouraging times, has a way of sustaining itself. “Community is the closest thing to good we can have as humans,” she said.
Wade told the volunteers that a bed is far more than a piece of furniture. “A bed is safety. It’s dignity. And most importantly, it’s hope.”
He urged every volunteer to go a step further and help deliver the beds into the community on a future Saturday. SHP expert volunteers bring community members directly into the homes of families in need to assemble and set up the beds on-site.
‘This Is Where You Sleep’
Dave Hoalcraft 鈥85, a Syracuse native who worked for the University for 39 years, is now co-president of the Syracuse chapter of SHP. He described one of the deliveries he made in the community that remains at the forefront of his mind. A young girl pointed to a blanket and stuffed animal on the floor when telling him where her bed was. Once the bed was assembled, complete with new bedding, it dawned on her that she now had a safe and cozy place to rest her head at night.
鈥淪ixty times you gave us the opportunity to tell this little girl: 鈥楾his is where you sleep,鈥 Hoalcraft told the first shift of volunteers, which completed 60 bed frames. 鈥淵ou did a lot more than play shop today鈥攜ou gave 60 kids a warm, safe place to sleep.鈥
With each passing year, more students have learned about the cause, spread the word and shown up ready to work.
The build has become one of the most anticipated volunteer events on campus, a rare occasion where the output is something tangible: a sturdy wooden frame, carefully sanded and assembled, that will soon hold a mattress, sheets, bedding and a sleeping child who might otherwise have had nothing beneath them but the floor.
For the children of Syracuse who will receive these beds, the impact may be difficult to measure but is impossible to overstate. As Mayor Owens said, everyone’s day begins with how they laid their head the night before. Thanks to 141 Orange volunteers, 116 more children in Syracuse will have a chance to take part in a good night’s sleep.
To volunteer for a bed build, bed deliveries, donate bedding or make a monetary donation, visit . For more information about SUVO activities, email suvo@syr.edu.
