Knowles Centre benefits from ‘gift of sleep’

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This article was published 14/12/2018 (1627 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It all starts with a good night’s sleep.

That’s the idea behind the Dufresne Group’s Gift of Sleep campaign. On Dec. 10, Dufresne donated and delivered 80 bed sets (mattress, box spring, and frame) to individuals, families and charitable organizations in need across Winnipeg from Dufresne’s distribution centre at 230 Panet Rd.

“We think this was a very successful day on a number of fronts,” Troy Davis, president of the Dufresne Group, told The Herald. “Hopefully we made an impact.”

Leading up to the event, community members had an opportunity to nominate a person, family, or group to receive “the gift of sleep.”

“We’re big believers that in order to live a healthy life it’s important to have a good night’s rest,” Davis said. “With this, we wanted to get the community involved, so we figured the way to do that was to submit and nominate people.”

Over a dozen people and a handful of charitable organizations were chosen to receive new bed sets, including 25 beds for the North End Community Renewal Corporation and 10 beds for the Knowles Centre’s Supported Advancement to Independent Living program.

“That was our first stop of the day,” said Davis, who took part in the delivery to Knowles Centre. “It was great to be a part of that.”

The Knowles Centre’s SAIL program operates three apartment blocks for a total of 26 one bedroom units around Winnipeg for youth between 16 and 20. The program also offers one-on-one support for their clients.

“We help prepare young people to live on their own,” explained Dawn Vandal, director of the SAIL Program. “We look at resources in the community, all that kind of stuff. We do our best to build them up, to show them they can do it.”

Vandal believes that the Gift of Sleep donation will have a big impact on her clients.

“For some people that will be their first new mattress they’ll ever get. So what an experience that is, in and of itself,” she said.“Our young people when they first come into our program, we’re helping them prepare to furnish their apartment, but they have a tight budget. It’s tough. They don’t have a lot of money to make that work. This is such an amazing gift for them, in the first place they’re living that’s really theirs. We’re so grateful to Dufresne and everyone part of the Gift of Sleep program.”

According to Davis, the Gift of Sleep campaign is likely one the Dufresne Group will revisit in the future.

“I think this could become a staple,” he said. 

Sheldon Birnie
Community Journalist

Sheldon Birnie is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. The author of Missing Like Teeth: An Oral History of Winnipeg Underground Rock (1990-2001), his writing has appeared in journals and online platforms across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. A husband and father of two young children, Sheldon enjoys playing guitar and rec hockey when he can find the time. Email him at sheldon.birnie@canstarnews.com Call him at 204-697-7112

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