Hartland Nonprofit Aims to Bring Sweet Dreams to Kids in Need

Creating sanctuaries and providing a space where children are able to sleep and dream is the focus of Rainbow Dreams, a new Livingston County nonprofit that began in Hartland.
 
Co- founded by two employees of the Livingston Educational Service Agency serving Hartland Consolidated Schools, Director of Special Education Sue Pearson and Administrative Assistant Debbie Jordan, the two women say their nonprofit was born out of a necessity they saw within the schools they help serve.  

"The concept originally started because we had a student at the middle school who was failing all of his classes because he was sleeping all day in class," Pearson said. "Teachers were getting frustrated and we started to talk about what we could do and why was he sleeping all day?"

Asking the question led Jordan and Pearson to the Genesee nonprofit group, Zoie Sky, an organization which provides bedrooms for children in need based on the idea that "one of the most important aspects to student achievement and well being is sleep." 
 
It's a concept Pearson says she agrees with.

"If a child is deprived of sleep, then they're not focused in school and they're not focused in life and that causes a lot of other issues," she said.

After reaching out to the Zoie Sky group for advice and guidance, Pearson and Jordan then began the long process of creating their own nonprofit group just for Livingston County.
 
Determined to help local children succeed in school, their Rainbow Dreams mission is focused on making "a significant impact on the lives of children in need by providing a functional, comfortable, and inspiring bedroom for children in need."

Children are selected for a Rainbow Dreams project through referrals and interview process and a typical room can be completed in just two days, according to Jordan.

Using their own spare time in between their work and personal lives, Jordan and Pearson, along with two other board members, clean, paint, decorate and organize donations to provide a suitable room for a well deserving child.

Watching the look of sheer joy spread across a child face as they enter their new rooms for the first time is proof enough for Pearson that their mission to help better the lives of young children is a much needed one.

"It's hard for me to go to bed every night in a comfortable bed when there are children sleeping on the floor," Pearson said. "It's just something I can't live with."

In just a year and a half's time, the Hartland-based nonprofit group has already completed four bedrooms with help from donations and discounts from company's such as Art Van who help to build and install new beds into the new rooms. 

With a big need within Livingston County, Jordan and Pearson say they are excited to see Rainbow Dreams grow and are able to accept donations and volunteers through their website.

To help raise money for future projects, a holiday shopping fundraiser will take place at Kahuna Coffee on Nov. 30 starting at 11 a.m. with a portion of the proceeds from vendor sales going to Rainbow Dreams.

To refer a Livingston County child to Rainbow Dreams, fill out the form from the group's website.