Sweet Dream

Last year, the Kiwanis Club of Golden identified a growing and often overlooked need within our community. While many local organizations have admirably expanded their efforts to address food insecurity, our research revealed another critical gap affecting children in Golden: the lack of adequate personal bedding to keep them warm, comfortable, and secure during Colorado’s cold winter months.

To meet this need, we partnered with Sweet Dream in a Bag, a Colorado nonprofit founded by Susie and Wayne Fox. Since 2010, Sweet Dream in a Bag has provided thousands of children living in poverty with vibrant, high‑quality bedding packages designed to bring warmth, dignity, and joy into their daily lives. Together, we launched our newest project—and we are proud to announce the successful completion of our pilot effort, which delivered brand‑new bedding to 51 Golden‑area students, just in time for Christmas!

This project was a true community collaboration. School counselors helped identify families and children in need. Volunteers—including teachers, Golden Key Club students, Golden Scout Troop 130 leaders, members and parents, and our dedicated Golden Kiwanis members—all came together for a large packing event where each bundle was artfully wrapped to highlight its beauty and significance. Every detail was intentional: we wanted each child to feel seen, valued, and celebrated.

Families were then invited to a special gifting event where children received their self-selected bedding—an important element of choice in lives where choices can be limited. They all received personalized attention along with a stuffed animal, toiletries, and a custom book affirming their individuality and worth. The result was pure joy: smiles, excitement, and ultimately the transformation of their sleeping space into a haven of warmth, color, and comfort.

The impact of this project extends far beyond the bedding itself. A warm, cozy bed communicates love, care, and belonging. It supports better rest, which can contribute to improved focus and outcomes in school. And unlike some programs that age out children over 12, our initiative provides bedding to children of all ages living with their families—because every child deserves comfort and dignity.

While we are proud of the success of our pilot project, the need remains significant. We are committed to continuing this work annually, or even more frequently, as funding and volunteer support allow.

If you represent a local charity, school, or community, or social services organization and would like to nominate Golden‑area families to receive personalized, self-selected bedding packages, please reach out through our website. We also welcome volunteers for future packing and gifting events, and donations to support upcoming distributions can be made at KiwanisClubOfGolden.org.

To all who have volunteered, donated, or helped spread the word—thank you. Your generosity has already made a meaningful difference in the lives of Golden’s children, and together, we look forward to expanding this effort in the year ahead.

Please donate to this project! See the Donation button below. We are planning on doing two more of these events this winter/spring for children in the Golden area.