Sweet Dreamzzz

Sweet Dreamzzz Detroit is a non-profit organization committed to providing bedtime essentials and sleep education to at-risk children in preparation for classroom learning. Kathleen Donnelly took action after reading a 1996 article published in the Detroit Free Press about a boy living in a burned out building and sleeping under coats. Unfortunately, this story is repeated over and over again in Detroit. Many children don't have heat, beds, proper sleeping apparel, or adults that enforce a standard bedtime and the importance of a good nights sleep. Sweet Dreamzzz has stepped up to assist the Detroit students by providing a 45 minute instructional piece about the importance of sleep and how to prepare for a good nights rest. The program is implemented into grades K-8. The state of Michigan curriculum does not provide any sleep education until the 7th grade. Sweet Dreamzzz strongly believes that by that age students have already developed poor sleeping habits. At the conclusion of the sleep education segment, Sweet Dreamzzz provides each student with a 'SLEEP KIT.' The kit includes the following: Sleeping bag, Sweet Dreamzzz night shirt and activity book, crayons, socks, toothpaste, toothbrush, and Beanie Baby. The students are also allowed to pick one book of their choice to provide them an avenue to read and relax before falling asleep. Again, I cannot stress enough, SWEET DREAMZZZ IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. They operate completely on donations. This weekend, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, they are having a "SLEEP WALK" to help raise money and awareness about the program and the importance of sleep. They also will accept any donations of any of the items that are in the sleep kits. In the past week alone, I met two people who have a bunch of Beanie Babies they no longer want, so they are donating them to Sweet Dreamzzz. Have the kids moved out of the house and you have all of their childhood books taking up space in the attic or basement collecting dust? The answer is simple...donate them to Sweet Dreammzzz! Be sure to check out their website and see how you can increase the classroom learning of at-risk children in Detroit. http://sweetdreamzzzdetroit.org/home.html