KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — Dozens of Brevard County students will now sleep a little better after a big donation to their families.
- Families surprised with beds from Ashley Home Furniture's charity, Hope to Dream
- Brevard County school district has almost 3,000 students "in transition"
Fifty Brevard County school children were selected to take a tour and party at Kennedy Space Center Friday. But little did they know they were getting brand new beds and bedding from Ashley Home Furniture's charity, Hope to Dream.
Melanie Moore says this is perfect for her kids, 8-year-old Jairus and 5-year-old Kitai.
She says they’ve shared a bed for a while now, and it’ll be great for them to get a bed of their own.
“It’s going to mean a lot because then they could put their own stuff on their own bed. They don’t have to fight over 'this is mine, this is mine'. They don’t have to fight over the cover no more, that’ll be good!" Moore said.
Brevard County Schools Assistant Superintendent Matt Reed says all of these families and many more in Brevard County wouldn’t be able to afford something like this on their own.
“We have almost 3,000 students that are considered in transition, that means they’re basically homeless, or they’re living with somebody else, they’re couch surfing, or they’re sleeping on somebody’s floor,” Reed said.
Matt says Hope to Dream helps these kids in a way the school district can’t.
“We can feed kids, we can bus them, we can hook them up with social services, but we can’t help them get a good night’s sleep,” Reed said.
Reed says they hope these beds will also enable these kids to be better students by being well-rested.
While it’s only a small percentage of the families in Brevard County who might need this service, these families are grateful.
“I really appreciate it, and it means a lot to me as a mother,” Moore said.