Homestead Inn donates beds to homeless shelter

  • Published
  • By By Senior Airman Erik Hofmeyer
  • 482nd Fighter Wng Public Affairs
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. --  Homestead Inn personnel needed to figure out what to do with 131 beds after the request for new mattresses and box springs was approved last month, and the solution gave a comfortable respite for many people in South Miami-Dade County.

Base lodging personnel donated 131 used mattresses and box spring sets to the Community Partnership for the Homeless on Nov. 7. The CPH is a non-profit agency operating two Homeless Assistance Centers in downtown Miami and Homestead.

"The beds were still usable, but weren't up to the Air Force standard. It would have been a shame to just throw the mattresses away," said Mr. Ernest Stensen, 482nd Services Squadron Homestead Inn general manager.

"We contacted the Community Partnership for the Homeless about donating the mattresses, and they were ecstatic," he said.

CPH staff members started loading the beds in their moving truck on Nov. 7, and it took two days to finish transporting the beds to the CPH's storage area. 

"We hold the mattresses for families and singles transitioning to new apartments to help them get started," said Sharon Haxton, CPH volunteer and community liaison. "Beds are always the No. 1 thing we need when people move out from the shelter, and the donated mattresses were in good condition," she said.

Currently, there are about 300 people staying in the Homestead shelter and 400 in downtown Miami, so the beds will go quickly, she said.