We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
This Princess Bed displayed in the lobby of the Wells Fargo Bank in Chinook will go to a purchaser through a silent auction. Four of the 'high end' girl's beds will be sold by auction with the results announced on Election Day evening. Groups are being sought to outfit the beds with spreads and decorative items. The pictured bed was outfitted by volunteers with My Neighbor in Need. The 'Beds for Beds' program is intended to raise funds to provide additional beds, mattresses and bedding to meet local requests. Beds were the most requested items during the two years the local My Neighbor has been operating.
The My Neighbor in Need (MNIN) program in Blaine County has launched a 'Beds for Beds' program that will generate needed funds to buy beds and mattresses requested by needy neighbors. MNIN is a volunteer, non-profit group that works to help neighbors with a need to connect with other neighbors who will help fill the need. In My Neighbor's two years of operation requests for beds, mattresses and bedding have been the most requested items.
A recent unusual chain of events allowed the local MNIN group to come into possession of four twin-sized Princess Beds, described in sales brochures as 'heirloom pieces.' The beds were first built in southern California as high-end bedroom pieces for girls' rooms. The Princess Beds, without mattresses or bedding, sell in the $1,000 range. The company that produces them also sells accessories such as chests of drawers, storage units and trundle beds.
Several months ago Jim Warburton, of Chinook, bought a used semi-trailer which he assumed was empty. After the purchase he found a large amount of what appeared to be new and used furniture in the trailer, much of it of an elegant design for children's bedrooms. Warburton realized the furniture had value and rather than discard the beds, visited with My Neighbor volunteers and agreed to give the furniture to the organization. My Neighbor leaders felt by selling the beds additional money could be raised to provide more beds to requesting neighbors and have a larger beneficial impact on the community.
'Beds for Beds' offers
two ways to help
The local My Neighbor in Need organization will buy box springs and mattresses for each of the four twin beds. The beds will then be displayed at the two banks in Chinook and sold by silent auction. MNIN volunteers bought and decorated one bed with a bed skirt, spread, decorative pillows and a doll. Other groups, families or individuals are encouraged to outfit a bed-fancy or plain, doesn't matter. All four beds, as decorated, will be sold via silent auction bid sheets.
The first bed, decorated by My Neighbor in Need, is on display at the Wells Fargo Bank in Chinook. In about two weeks a second bed will be added to the display at Wells Fargo and two additional beds will go on display at the First Bank of Montana.
Plans call for the auction results to be announced during the evening of Election Day. During that final day of bidding My Neighbor volunteers will be available by phone to record last minute bids from those who cannot make it to the bank to record their bid. The entire point of the auction is to make these quality beds available in time for the holidays to surprise some fortunate little girls and to raise funds to help needy neighbors who need beds.
Readers can get more information about decorating one of the beds prior to the auction or to place last minute silent auction bids by calling 357-4100 or 357-3232. Hopefully there are some clubs or families that would like to help with this project and decorate a bed. My Neighbor helps folks in all parts of the county. And likely many readers already have a little girl in mind who would especially treasure a Princess Bed of her own. Four opportunities to make a little girl happy are pretty good odds.
