For a child, there’s nothing that brings feelings of safety, comfort and security more than being tucked into their own bed at night and having a story read to them. Unfortunately, not all children have a bed and a book as part of their nightly routine. In 2020, the 501 (c)(3), A Bed and A Book, was founded to reach as many children, ages infant to 18, with their own bed and a book. To raise funds and awareness of the need that our local children and their families have, A Bed and A Book is holding a charity golf tournament, The Dreams & Greens Charity Golf Tournament on October 11, 2024 at Tanglewood Park.
When You See a Need, You Meet It
Anneliese Wall, founder and president of A Bed and A Book, was working at the Forsyth County courthouse when she saw three children sleeping on the floor on top of a shower curtain using towels as blankets.
“When I saw these three children sleeping in this condition, I reached out to find a resource and none existed to deliver beds to children in need. I raised the money and got friends to help set up the beds. The kids’ faces were full of joy, and this was what sparked the charity, confirming my mission. With little more than a hope and a dream of helping children and families, we formed the 501 (c) (3) and have now donated more than 600 beds,” said Anneliese.
The idea is simple, but it still requires funds to meet the need.
“We deliver free, brand new, beautiful twin-sized beds which can be stand alone or made into a bunk bed. Each bed comes with a new mattress, new bedding, chosen for each child according to their interest, along with books, through donations from Bookmarks. Employees from Bookmarks hand select each book. The books are age appropriate and chosen with characters to appeal to the children who will receive them. We also partner with Advocate Atrium, and they refer families to us who are expecting newborns and do not have a safe sleeping space. Our volunteers then deliver a brand new portable crib. Since our collaboration to assist parents of newborns, infant mortality rates have decreased,” Anneliese commented.
For delivery and set up of beds to children, local law enforcement, fire departments, public service representatives from Winston-Salem, Nascar teams, corporate employees and WFU athletes all come together sharing the love of the community.
Hitting the Greens to Help Change Lives
Bed and books aren’t free, so Anneliese and her volunteers decided to host a golf tournament with funds going toward the A Bed and a Book charity.
“Currently, our group is housed in a warehouse in downtown Winston-Salem with no power or bathroom facilities, and the building is for sale. We hope that with some of the funds from the golf tournament, we can find and secure a new location to work from, along with providing beds and books for more children in our community. The tournament, The Dreams & Greens Charity Golf Tournament, will be held on October 11, 2024 at the Tanglewood Championship course. We hope to have a good turnout and that this will be an annual event,” Anneliese stated.
For more information on A Bed and A Book and to register for the golf tournament, visit abedandabook.com.
