William Smith
Community Editor
When Burlington resident Larry Derry commissioned a new Amish-built shed/garage that would serve as a home for his pontoon boat, he had more altruistic ends in mind.
He envisioned a space where he and his fellow parishioners at First Christian Church could build beds for children who need them, a place where they could become God’s hands.
“I want to be of service to the Lord somehow, someway. I just feel that the need is there. Kids need to have a place to sleep. That can affect a child in so many different ways,” Derry said.
Considering how much larger the shed is than his actual boat, Derry’s motives are obvious. He got the idea from the First Christian Church in Keokuk, which started the A Bed for Every Child program a few years ago. Now Derry and his fellow church members are heading up their own ministry around providing beds for kids, succinctly titled Build-A-Bed.
Working on advice from the Keokuk congregation and in partnership with Southeastern Community College, the ministry is looking to address the most immediate of local needs: parents and children who need beds.
“This whole vision has taken about two years, and it’s now just starting to develop. Anything construction takes time,” Derry said.
Derry invited his fellow parishioners and SCC President Michael Ash to a recent meeting at the shed earlier this month, where tools were already in place to begin the bed-building process. The college is working on creating a dedicated phone number for the project.
“We just want to build a bed. But there are a zillion and one details,” Ash said.
Though the project is in its infancy, Derry has already started working on some twin beds.
“It’s not just for people who can’t afford a bed. It might be for a family who has some kids coming to live with them and they need some help,” Derry said.
Right now, the ministry is looking to build up its finances. Derry estimated that a twin bed can be built and fitted with a mattress for roughly $250, though there was less than $1,000 in the coffers when Derry invited the congregation to meet. The ministry is reaching out to local stores for construction materials and donations – particularly lumber.
The financial information of those they help is of no importance to the ministry. They are not there to sit in judgment.
"If the need is there, we want to focus on that,” Derry said. “Will we be taken advantage of? Absolutely. But we have to trust in the Lord.”
Derry, who is semi-retired from Aspen Grove Cemetery, said he has plenty of time to work on the project. So much time that his fellow church members have started referring to the ministry as “his baby.” While the compliment humbles Derry, it makes him a bit uncomfortable.
"This is the Lord's baby," he said.
Derry doesn’t care much for personal publicity, though he’s happy to promote the Build-A-Bed ministry in any way possible. He considers himself nothing more than the hands and feet of the Lord.
“I’ve always felt it needs to come from the church. Because this what the Lord would do,” he said. “Once something like this gets out. People want to help. There’s still a lot of good people in the world.”
Those who are interested in the project or want to help should contact BuildABedBurlington@gmail.com. To be eligible for a bed, you must live in Des Moines County and have a child between the ages of 3 and 17 living in your household who does not have a bed.