OUR STORY
Ever since my first mission trip in 1997, I have been “hooked” on touching people’s lives who are in need and desperate to find hope.
What I did not know is that starting Mattress Safe, Inc. 14 years ago was going to lead me to my heart’s desire of bringing comfort and relief to the destitute and defenseless. My company manufactures mattress covers for waterproof, allergy, and bed bug protection. We have spent most of our efforts in the Pest Management Industry helping to combat the battle with bed bugs. Our encasements are used as an integral part of a bed bug treatment program.
While at the Bed Bug Summit in Chicago, I was interviewed by a local news station that aired on a national morning show. From that interview, I received an email from Italy from a woman who stated that people in Europe who are accustomed to living with bed bugs, don’t live with them because they want to; they live with them because they have to. They don’t have the money to eradicate them. I was so stricken with the reality that many people are in this same state of need. It was at that very moment that I thought, “wouldn’t it be great if I could donate mattress covers to those who cannot afford to get rid of bed bugs and help people in need all over the world”.
It was at that very moment that I thought, “wouldn’t it be great if I could donate mattress covers to those who cannot afford to get rid of bed bugs and help people in need all over the world?”
Of course, my first thought was to utilize the resources that Mattress Safe was not able to sell and repurpose them to supply mattress protectors for the people who are in desperate situations. We started donating our mattress covers that were “seconds” to various shelters in the United States when they could not afford to buy them.
Then in 2012, I took a mission trip to Honduras and took mattress covers for three different orphanages at one of which I had the pleasure of personally installing these mattress covers on their beds. We placed those encasements in the hands of the children, and they became something of their very own. They were so excited and were thrilled to see their beds transformed into a fresh new sleeping area. It was the highlight of my life. I actually was making a difference in a child’s life that otherwise was sleeping in unsanitary conditions.
Also, I was also able to participate in a feeding program of which we now support. The first time I dipped my spoon into the rice and fed a child who had the gift of this one meal a day, I almost cried from emotion. I was so happy and so filled up that I could use my service to touch someone else’s life. I could give them a smile, put food on their plate and give them hope.
That trip to Honduras is when the focus P.E.S.T. Relief International® solidified in my heart. About a year later, I began the process of organizing the company after taking my second trip to Honduras. I have now completed 4 trips to Honduras and cannot wait to return and deliver more mattress covers.
My hope is for P.E.S.T. Relief International® to fund the building of this children’s home and be able to proudly sustain this operation for years to come.
It was also at that time when I received the knowledge of the opportunity to build a children’s home right here in Atlanta, GA where the church and surrounding community would support this home. At this point, we have a planning and development team in place.
The children’s home will accommodate children from the ages of 8 – 11 and/or sibling groups where there are too many siblings for one family to house in the foster care system. My hope is for P.E.S.T. Relief International® to fund the building of this children’s home and be able to proudly sustain this operation for years to come. The Vine Community Church has land allocated for this project, and groundbreaking will commence as soon as the funds are raised.
Currently, our platform for P.E.S.T. Relief International® is in the United States and Honduras. My hope is to have a presence in all regions of the country as well as other parts of the world. This is only the beginning. We can provide comfort and relief and make a difference together! Come join the movement!