From the very beginning, it has always been our privilege to give back to the communities where we live and do business. More than anything else, we love supporting local charities that focus on helping children and families in need. We've put many of the logos of charities we work with on this page. Below you'll find just a few of the many opportunities for you to work side by side with us. Together, we can make a big difference in our communities!

Sleeping Children

Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) is a registered Canadian Charity founded in 1970 by Margaret and Murray Dryden. The charity is focused on helping children in developing countries get a comfortable and restful night’s sleep.

Each $35 donation provides a child in a developing country with a bedkit. These donations are provided by donors that believe in the concept of free will giving, as the charity does not send out mail outs or reminders. 100% of all the funds received from donors, go to purchase items included in the bedkit. The items in a bedkit consist of a mosquito net, mattress, pillows, blanket, bed sheets, plastic ground cover, school uniforms, school supplies etc. The mosquito net is a very important item, as it prevents malaria and other insect transmitted diseases which will improve the child’s health. SCAW coordinates a number of bedkit distributions annually in developing countries with overseas volunteers. The bedkits promote gender equity in these countries, as 50% are distributed to boys and 50% are distributed to girls.

Sleep Country Canada knows how important it is for children to get a good night’s sleep and is excited to be a part of the project. Just last year, Christine Magee was part of a group of Canadian volunteers who delivered 5,000 bed kits to children in India. By providing a bedkit to a child in a developing country, we are providing them with hope based on their difficult living conditions. Children that have received a bedkit show improved performance and attendance at school based on surveys conducted with their teachers. In 2009, the charity achieved Margaret’s and Murray’s dream of distributing 1,000,000 bedkits. By the end of 2011, almost 1,200,000 will be distributed since the charity’s inception. The goal is to distribute the next 1,000,000 bedkits within the next 10 years. To find out how you can help, visit www.scaw.org

Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day (BRA Day)

October marks Breast Cancer awareness month, and on October 19th 2011, Canada celebrated the first ever National Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day (BRA Day). To help bring awareness and education to this important cause, Sleep Country was happy to take part by displaying posters at selective store locations.

Some Interesting Stats:

• Breast cancer is the single most common cancer among Canadian women and mastectomy remains a common surgical treatment.
• In 2010, nearly 45,000 mastectomies were performed on breast cancer survivors in Canada. Of those, approximately 92 per cent did not pursue breast reconstruction, despite the myriad of options available as a fully insured medical service in Canada.
• A staggering number of women don’t pursue reconstruction and the main reasons are lack of awareness and the reality that in a fight against cancer, the quest for survival overshadows the aesthetic aspect of recovery.

BRA Day is a major national initiative led by plastic and reconstructive surgeons across the country and supported by key stakeholder groups ranging from nurse specialists, The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons, the medical device industry and breast cancer support groups with patients who had successfully undergone breast reconstruction. Please visit Bra Day http://www.bra-day.com/ to find out more.

Donate A Mattress

For every new Sleep Country mattress purchase that we deliver to you, at the same time, our delivery team will also pick up your old mattress for donation back to us. We’ll sort the old mattresses and ensure that as many mattresses as possible end up with families in need. Please see store for exact details.

Backpacks For Kids

Each summer we collect new backpacks and school supplies for children in grades one through seven so they have the proper tools to help them succeed in school. Our collections are distributed to children who need them through wonderful charitable organizations such as the Salvation Army, Kidsfest and the United Way.

SchoolBOX

A good education is one of the building blocks young children need in their development. SchoolBOX is an organization that is committed to supporting the right of every child to a basic education in Central America. This summer, Sleep Country proudly presents the Cycle 4 SchoolBOX fundraiser. The fundraiser consists of one man cycling 8000km across Canada to raise funds and awareness for SchoolBOX. With this event, SchoolBOX hopes to raise enough funds to build a school and provide 8000 children with the notebooks and pencils they need to obtain an education. Please visit www.SchoolBOX.ca to learn more about the Cycle 4 SchoolBOX ride. Each kilometer cycled brings hope to a child and together, we can make a difference in the world.

YWCA

YWCA Toronto is dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls. They help them flee violence, secure housing, find jobs, build skills and develop confidence. The YWCA believes that with the right support, women and children who have struggled with homelessness and poverty can succeed in a safe place with assistance and counseling, women fleeing violence CAN re-build their lives and girls who are nurtured and inspired CAN lead. Sleep Country Canada proudly provided beds to all 300 units of the Elm Street Centre. the YWCA is able to provide life-changing support to thousands of girls and women.

Anselma House

Began in 1978 in a house on Duke Street in Kitchener; it was called Anselma House and retains this name today. The demand increased and a new 20 bed shelter was built in 1989 on Ann Street in Kitchener. In 2011 a new 45 bed shelter was built on Heritage Drive in Kitchener.

Up until 2001 Haven House and Anselma House operated as two separate organizations. In 2001 Haven House and Anselma House merged to form Women's Crisis Services of Waterloo Region. At that time, the Board of Directors merged and one Executive Director was assigned to manage both facilities.