Fostering Support and Philanthropy: Mattress By Appointment and Edwin Shoffner give gift to young adult exiting foster care
October 12, 2018
Mattress By Appointment, and CEO Edwin Shoffner, in the company’s philanthropic partnership with Pendleton Place, provided a life- changing gift to a young adult exiting the foster care system and beginning a life of self-sufficiency at a young age.
Mattress By Appointment of Greenville donated a queen mattress and corresponding frame to a 19-year-old female in the Connections Count program at Pendleton Place. After years spent in foster care, the teen recently aged out of the system and was faced with the realities of providing for herself and living independently. In addition to the chaos of finding a place to live and getting on her feet, she also had limited resources to begin this new stage of life, one of which was the lack of a bed.
“As any parent can attest, quality sleep is important in the lives of children. It plays a significant role in academic performance and provides a sense of stability. But on a fundamental level, having a place to rest your head is profoundly important when life throws so many variables your way. At Mattress by Appointment, we couldn’t imagine not doing everything in our power to help children in need,” says Shoffner.
Mattress By Appointment, LLC began its partnership with Pendleton Place in efforts to equip children, adolescents and families with resources to rebuild successful lives. The company continues its pledge to donate mattresses to those who need them as they age out of the foster care system.
“Pendleton Place is extremely excited about its partnership with Mattress by Appointment, which has graciously agreed to provide mattresses to young adults who do not have a comfortable bed to call their own. As our Independent Living Specialist works with clients to secure safe housing, we can match at-risk youth with the mattresses donated as a result of this partnership,” says Jennifer Gutierrez-Caldwell, Connections Count Director. “Our clients have been through incredible amounts of trauma and finding a bed to sleep in should not be another burden on their shoulders.”
About Connections Count at Pendleton Place
The Connections Count program at Pendleton Place seeks to break the cycle of poverty and abuse through comprehensive service coordination, case planning for self-sufficiency, and coaching for youth transitioning out of foster care as well as runaway and homeless youth.
In 2015, 227 young adults aged out of foster care in South Carolina, approximately 30 to 40 of them in Greenville County. Overnight, these young adults no longer have transportation, stable housing, healthcare, financial assistance, or a social worker to call in a time of crisis. Without a mother, father or caring family member, our clients at Connections Count begin adulthood without family supports.
Nationally, 1 in 5 youth who age out of foster care experience homelessness. In South Carolina that number is 1 in 4. Pendleton Place is currently working, in partnership with United Housing Connections, to open a youth drop-in center to address the basic, immediate needs of this population, including access to hot meals, showers, laundry facilities, computer labs, and more.
About Mattress by Appointment, LLC
Mattress by Appointment, LLC, owned by Edwin Shoffner, is a national mattress retail business consisting of over 300 locations throughout the United States. Shoffner broke away from the old and outdated retail business models in order to create a new, transformative model that changes the lives of both consumers
and business owners alike. Wanting to make a difference has been a driving force behind Shoffner’s company, which has experienced exponential growth year over year under his leadership.
