EVERETT — People at the Everett Gospel Mission will be sleeping easier tonight because of a generous donation that netted them 88 luxury beds.
While the beds came from Flobeds in California, no one knows where the money to buy them came from because the donor wished to remain anonymous, said Everett Gospel Mission chief executive officer Sylvia Anderson.
“We needed new mattresses because the ones we had were not in good shape,” Anderson said. “So we told one of our major donors about our need, who in turn told their friends, and before we knew it, we had the beds.”
Anderson said the anonymous donor supports another local mission, but still recognized the need and made a special one-time gift of $18,000.
“We thought that we were going to have to replace the beds one at a time,” Anderson said. “We are very thankful. For a number of years, we have had to get our mattresses second-hand from hotels and hospitals.”
Due to the quality of the beds, they are expected to last for the next 20 years. The new influx of beds couldn’t have come at a better time; as the weather begins to chill, conditions for the homeless can turn harsh and, in some cases, fatal.
“We average 185 people here a night,” Anderson said. “We usually have 135 to 150, but when the weather is bad we do everything we can to get them a spot. Unless they are belligerent, too intoxicated or disrespectful, we don’t turn them away.”
While the new beds have met one need at the mission, more challenges remain.
“Because of the time of the season, our electricity bill is going up substantially,” Anderson said. “We also need new blankets for the new beds.”
Anderson also hopes to be able to give men at the shelter gifts for the holidays.
“We are trying to give them flannel shirts,” Anderson said. “Most holiday gifts go to the women and children’s shelter, but people forget that for these men, it’s Christmastime, too.”
And what happened to the old beds?
“They were thrown away,” Anderson said. “They needed to be thrown away. Trust me.”
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