International humanitarian organization WorldBed announced that it will host a cocktail reception, “Haiti, One Year Later,” to honor donors and introduce the organization to attendees at the Las Vegas Market on January 25, 5 to 7 pm, at the Leggett & Platt showroom, B-1326. Food and beverages for the event will be sponsored by Deslee Textiles and Wright of Thomasville.
WorldBed, which has funded and delivered more than 20,000 emergency field beds to disaster relief areas around the world since 2009, will also host an exhibit featuring a tent housing structure resembling a typical temporary shelter for many of the children and families who are beneficiaries of WorldBed. The exhibit will be displayed at the Specialty Sleep Association showroom, C-1350.
“We hope our exhibit and reception will help Market attendees learn more about WorldBed and the opportunities for charitable partnerships,” said WorldBed executive director Laura Castro. “Companies and organizations in the home furnishings industry are finding that WorldBed is a way they can make a difference in the lives of people in need around the world in a way that is meaningful and valuable to their customers.”
Corporate sponsors of WorldBed have ranged from single-location retail outlets to large retail chains, major furnishings industry suppliers and world-renown philanthropic and disaster relief groups. Earlier this year WorldBed was granted tax-exempt status by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, establishing WorldBed as an independent, non-for-profit organization.
According to Castro, the roster of supporters continues to grow as the organization expands into more areas of the world where emergency beds are needed, such as earthquake-stricken Chile and in flood-ravaged Pakistan. In December, a container of 1,800 were distributed through WorldBed partner World Vision to several regions of Africa where they will be utilized by medical facilities.
“As we recognize the one-year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, the need for WorldBeds in Haiti and around the globe continues to grow. We are heartened by the support of the home furnishings industry which has helped us reach the milestone of delivering 20,000 WorldBeds. With their continued support, we can continue to carry on our mission of providing a place to sleep to displaced people around the globe,” said Castro.
Click here to donate to WorldBed or to learn more.
About WorldBed: Created in 2005 to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina, WorldBed is a not-for-profit organization that serves disaster-hit areas of the world such as Haiti, Chile, Africa and Pakistan by providing donations of cot-sized emergency relief field beds consisting of specialized three-inch water resistant, medical-grade covered foam. WorldBed is made possible through the generous donations of its sponsors, including major sponsor Anatomic Global, a California-based manufacturer of memory foam sleep products.