The brand new Hill Park Apartment building seemed to glow in the afternoon sun as the Bedmart and Community Warehouse delivery trucks pulled into the parking lot. Teams of movers from both organizations began to unload thirty new, full-size Tempur-Pedic mattresses, perfectly soft and white.

Hefted one by one, the mattresses were taken through the front entry where only two weeks prior, the ribbon cutting ceremony had occurred, inaugurating Hill Park Apartments as the newest of Central City Concern’s affordable housing community.

The bright rooms held the echo of spaces waiting to be filled with beds, furniture, clothing and the various colorings of home….and, most importantly, new residents.

Community Warehouse has partnered with Central City Concern countless times over the years to provide household furnishings to neighbors in need. Once an individual or a family is able to secure stable housing, often with the help of an organization such as Central City Concern, the next key step is finding resources to help turn their housing into a comfortable, functional living space.

Megan Smith, Community Warehouse Board Member and housing advocate explains:

“Every individual or family that enters a housing assistance program worries how they will be able to live in an apartment when they don’t have a bed, a table, or plates. When we tell them Community Warehouse can provide the basic items they need to get started in their new place, their look of relief is so profound.

People know what it means to be able to put a meal on the table, clean sheets on a bed, even a throw pillow on a couch. Those are the comforts of home that allow folks the breathing room to build a pathway for their future: create stability, meet their neighbors, stay.”

After talking with Central City Concern advocates about how to best support new residents, Community Warehouse Executive Director Dunetchka Otero-Serrano and co-founder Roz Babener reached out to BedMart Mattress Superstores to see if they would be willing to provide mattresses.

In keeping with their many previous demonstrations of dedication to our community, BedMart’s Steven Stone and Elana Stone-Anderson( in partnership with Tempur-Pedic) came through in a big way, providing a truck full of thirty brand new, full-size mattresses and mattress covers!

“The entire BedMart family is proud to help our neighbors at Hill Park Apartments get a clean, comfortable place to sleep,” said Elana Stone Anderson, BedMart’s Vice President of Marketing. “Our family has always received such strong support from the community and we are happy to give back and help in any way we can. We are truly appreciative of Tempur-Pedic for their generous support.”

“We’re always thrilled when local organizations donate much-needed items for our residents,” said Sean Hubert, Central City Concern’s chief housing and employment officer. “A huge thanks to BedMart and Community Warehouse for helping people furnish their new homes with quality items.”

This sunny July day was a great moment of recognition for Central City Concern’s critical work, community advocacy, affordable housing and the power of local partnerships. Everyone pitched in, grabbed the end of a mattress or an armful of pillows and participated in the hands-on process of giving a leg up to those who need it most.

Although this event is just one small step, of many, towards housing stability for our most vulnerable community members, it is a significant one. This single effort will give more than forty people the opportunity to sleep on a state-of-the-art mattress, dream under a safe roof, and live in a space of their own where they can cook, shower, relax and rejuvenate. A place to truly call home.