CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - A bed to sleep in seems like such a basic necessity. Surely, everyone has a bed to call their own.

But social workers who deal with needy families in the Cedar Rapids area say that’s not true. Many clients can’t afford even that basic kind of furniture and some kids might end up sharing a bed, or camping out on the floor or a couch every night.

And because of the bed bug scare, many agencies stopped accepting the used bedding that could once help such families. So an annual program of providing new bedding for free was especially welcome this year.

Every year, the 122 Slumberland stores nationwide run a program called “Home for the Holidays.” And Wednesday morning, the mattresses, box springs and bed frames were flying out of the warehouse at the Cedar Rapids store and onto a delivery truck. Since 1993, the company, workers and vendors have pooled resources to donate brand new bed sets, blankets and even teddy bears to area needy families.

Amber Mercil, who works with families through the Four Oaks-affiliated Cornerstone program said most people don’t realize how some families can do without something so basic as a bed.

“We have a lot of families in our program that double up on beds or sleep on the couch. They (kids) sleep on the floor or with parents. Some families don’t have any beds for parents either,” Mercil said.

Few homes awaiting the free bedding from Slumberland were quite as bare as Nichelle Hodges’ apartment. She and her three kids stayed either in a shelter or with a relative until they found to the resources to move to a one bedroom apartment in Marion a few weeks ago. But there’s literally nothing in the apartment now except an air mattress on the floor for the mother. The new beds, three twins and one full set, will make up all the furniture.

“It will be a very big surprise for them (the kids). I know they will be happy to have their own space,” Hodges said. Another mother, Stacy Stewart, has a niece staying with her who was finally getting a bed of her own. Stewart said her niece begged to stay home Wednesday to await the delivery.

“She tried to talk me into staying home from school today. I said no—you’ll get it when you get home.”

Social workers said because the bed bug fears put donated bedding off limits, agencies don’t have as many options as they once did to provide free bedding for families. So a company, and workers, willing to make a yearly donation of brand new bed sets means even more now.

Cedar Rapids Slumberland manager Chad Klinkenborg said the corporate office provided funding for 25 bed sets this year out of the Cedar Rapids store. But employees who participate in a payroll deduction plan raised enough to buy 16 more. And he said there’s nothing like new for someone who hasn’t had much in life.

“They’re brand new, factory sealed—never been slept in by anybody except for these kids. This’ll be the first time out of the package. Hopefully, they’ll jump on them and have some fun,” Klinkenborg said.

Four Oaks and Partnership for Safe Families shared the 41 new bed sets donated Wednesday. Since Slumberland started the national donation program in 1993, the company has given away more than 17,500 bed sets to needy families.