Across the country this September, thousands of people picked up lumber, sanders, drills, and hammers for Bunks Across America, Sleep in Heavenly Peace's annual nationwide effort to build beds for kids who do not have one.

The 2026 event, held September 5 through 12, set a national goal of building more than 12,000 beds with 15,000 volunteers across more than 250 Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapters. Lowe's supported more than 200 events nationwide, including builds at nearly 70 stores.
In Oxford, Mississippi, that national effort became something intensely local.

The Oxford Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter had only been operating since March. Before Bunks Across America, roughly 150 local volunteers had already helped the chapter build and deliver 69 beds. With a $12,500 Lowe's sponsorship, Oxford was selected as one of 40 sites receiving additional support for the national event.

The chapter initially hoped to recruit 90 volunteers and build more than 50 beds. By the time Alex Cortes joined SuperTalk Mississippi ahead of the event, more than 100 people had registered. On build day, 125 volunteers ultimately built 68 beds in three hours, doubling the 34 beds completed at the chapter's previous build in July and nearly doubling volunteer participation from 70 people.

Army of Normal Folks Oxford helped make that growth possible. The local service club helped launch the Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter and has continued working alongside it to create ways for people to get involved. Cortes, president of the Oxford Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter, told SuperTalk Mississippi that Army of Normal Folks Oxford had recruited 61 of the first 100 volunteers registered for Bunks Across America.
That response gets at a principle that extends beyond a single build: People often want to help strengthen their communities. What they may need is a clear path to contribute.

WATCH THE CONVERSATION
Alex Cortes on SuperTalk Mississippi 

We pulled out some of the strongest moments from Cortes' conversation about why people show up, how Army of Normal Folks helps turn willingness into action, and what happens when receiving support becomes an opportunity to contribute in return.

Bunks Across America is a national event. What made the Oxford build significant?
Cortes: Sleep in Heavenly Peace has hundreds of chapters across the country, and Bunks Across America brings as many of them together as possible to build beds during the same week. Oxford was fortunate to be one of 40 sites selected for additional Lowe's support. That allowed us to plan our largest build yet, and the community response was immediate. We filled more than 100 volunteer spots before the event, and ultimately 125 people participated.

For someone who has never built a bed, what does volunteering actually look like?
Cortes: It is set up almost like an assembly line, with about 10 different stations. People can cut lumber, sand boards, make headboards, build side rails, prepare bed slats, or help with other parts of the process. One of the fun stations is branding the Sleep in Heavenly Peace logo onto the headboard. You do not have to know how to build a bed when you arrive. There is a role people can step into.

Why do you think a manageable volunteer opportunity matters?
Cortes: We have heard a lot of positive feedback about the time commitment. Two or three hours feels like a good amount of time. It is enough to feel like you really did something, but not so long that it becomes hard to fit into your life. In about three hours, a group of people can have a very tangible impact.

What role has Army of Normal Folks Oxford played in building that participation?
Cortes: Army of Normal Folks Oxford helped start the local Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter, and we help organize volunteer opportunities around it. For this build, Sleep in Heavenly Peace was driving the event as part of its national partnership with Lowe's, but Army of Normal Folks Oxford recruited 61 of the first 100 volunteers who signed up. The two groups have had a hand-in-glove relationship from the beginning.

You shared a story about a family that received a bed and then came back to help. Why did that stand out to you?
Cortes: One of the most touching examples for me has been a father whose family received a bed. He has since come back twice to volunteer with us. I think that is incredibly meaningful. Someone can receive support when they need it and also have an opportunity to come back, contribute, and help another family.

The Oxford chapter is already looking beyond Lafayette County. What will it take to grow?
Cortes: We started in Lafayette County so we could test this on a smaller scale, and we have already begun expanding into nearby ZIP codes. But reaching more communities will require more people who are willing to take ownership. We need additional delivery managers who can lead deliveries themselves, including people in neighboring counties who know those communities and can help the work grow there.

What does the growth of the chapter tell you about people's willingness to contribute?
Cortes: The chapter has only been here since March, and we already had around 150 people volunteer before this build. To me, that says people are willing to step up when they can see a concrete need and a clear way to help. Building beds is tangible. You can show up for a few hours, work alongside other people, and know exactly what your effort is going toward.

When contribution becomes part of the community
The Oxford build produced 68 beds, but its significance is not captured by that number alone.
Bunks Across America provided the national moment. Lowe's helped provide resources. Sleep in Heavenly Peace supplied a proven model for turning lumber into beds. Army of Normal Folks Oxford helped connect local people to a meaningful way to participate. And 125 neighbors supplied their own time and effort.
The father who returned to volunteer after his own family received a bed brings that idea into focus. Strong communities are not defined only by how well people receive help when they need it. They also create opportunities for people to use what they have, including their time, talents, relationships, and experience, to benefit someone else.
Across hundreds of Bunks Across America events, the specific people and places looked different. The underlying opportunity was the same: Give people a meaningful way to contribute, and many will step forward.

About In Conversation
In Conversation is a recurring editorial series from Stand Together exploring the principles that help people and communities flourish. Through conversations with leaders across the Stand Together Catalyst Community and beyond, each installment examines one principle in action through original interviews, podcasts, media appearances, and public discussions.
Together, these conversations show how principles such as empowerment, contribution, belonging, human dignity, and opportunity can help people thrive and strengthen communities.