New organization dedicated to providing beds to Lorain County children

Good Knights of Lorain County has officially launched with the mission to provide complete, comfortable and safe beds to all children in need in Lorain County and the vision that "No child sleeps on the floor." Under the leadership of Executive Director Roger Dorsey and President Jeff Baxter, the nonprofit organization seeks to "Empower families with children by delivering beds and other essential items to powerfully supplement the family's resources as they rise out of poverty and into self-sufficiency," its founders said. Its model is to aid with dignity while empowering families. Lorain County is one of the poorest counties in Ohio. Approximately 27 percent of Lorain residents had an income below the poverty level in 2017, which was nearly 49 percent greater than the statewide poverty level of 14 percent. The poverty rate in Elyria is just over 22 percent, and one out of every 4.5 residents of Elyria lives in poverty. The poverty rate in Oberlin is 23.5 percent, and one out of every 4.3 residents of Oberlin lives' in poverty. Dorsey founded Good Knights this year with first-hand knowledge of what it is like to sleep on the floor, he said in an announcement of the new organization: He was 11 when he, his mothers and siblings moved to Elyria, and he slept on the floor for three years. "Not knowing where I would sleep, on a blanket on the floor or in the closet in a pile of clothes, made bedtime something I hated," he said. The former executive director of the Lorain County chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, which also built and delivered beds for children in need, Dorsey helped build and deliver more than 1,500 beds in two years. He also built alliances with foundations, corporations and nonprofits to bring awareness to the needs of children in Lorain County, he said. Baxter's background includes being a volunteer and/or board member of the Elyria Hospitality Center, Lorain County Urban League Guild and the city of Elyria's Civil Service Commission. He became one of the founding members of Good Knights of Lorain County because, he said, he believes strongly that all of us need to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Baxter's motto is: "When we all do a little, nobody has to do a lot." He also brings management experience from a career with Macy's Department Stores. Beds for children are constructed through a two-step process: "Build days" are made possible through Good Knights sponsors/donors who provide the raw materials for the bed components to be built. "Delivery days" engage the community to further rally volunteers to assist, assemble and deliver the beds to families on a separate day. Recipients may also receive a pillow, sheet set and blankets when their bed is delivered. Strategic partnerships have been established with a number of social service agencies with clients needing assistance with self-sustainability. Knowledgeable social workers employed by the referring agencies vet and then refer their organization's clients. Individuals may also apply online through Good Knights' website to receive beds. Keeping all donated funding within Lorain County, the goal is to meet the demand of 1,200 to 1,500 beds annually. While the emphasis is beds for children, Good Knights also collaborates with other non-profit organizations, churches and schools to deliver more services to families in need. Good Knights can be found online at www.goodknightsoflc.org, where you can donate money or volunteer to build or deliver beds, and on Facebook.