For the second year in a row, dozens of employees of a local credit union spent one of their days off on a team building project, so to speak.
On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which fell on Oct. 12 this year, 150 CoastHills Credit Union workers volunteered their time to build 105 beds for local children in need.
“Participation is completely voluntary. Employees are drawn to the cause,” CoastHills Credit Union Vice President of Marketing Rebecca Pohlman told the Sun in an email interview.
“Having a bed of our own is something many of us take for granted,” Pohlman said. “Learning that so many children in our community are sleeping on yoga mats, dog beds, or even blankets on the floor really hits home and motivates our team to help.”
Meet a need
Visit shpbeds.org to find out more about Sleep in Heavenly Peace and its Northern Santa Barbara County chapter. For more info on CoastHills Credit Union, founded in the Lompoc Valley in 1958, visit coasthills.coop. The company currently operates 11 branches across the Central Coast.
Through a partnership with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, the credit union led a meet-up for volunteers at the Santa Maria Elks Lodge, where participants split into small groups and used drills and other woodworking tools to assemble bunk and single bed frames.
About 18 volunteers from Sleep in Heavenly Peace were on-site to show credit union employees the ropes when it comes to bed-building. CoastHills also donated $27,500 to the nonprofit, which covered the cost of the building supplies that day, as well as bedding, mattresses, and pillows for all 105 beds.
Pohlman described the credit union’s collaboration with the nonprofit as an opportunity for employees to build camaraderie outside of an office setting for “a hands-on project that directly benefits children in our area.”
“We created the event to bring CoastHills employees together outside their regular roles to give back to the communities we serve,” she said. “We see ourselves as more than a financial provider, we’re a community partner, and that means showing up and putting in the work to make a difference.”
Along with the rewarding feeling of knowing their work made a difference for local families in need, volunteers received a few perks from CoastHills for their efforts.
“Employees receive a floating holiday for participating, along with CoastHills swag, including a shirt and hat,” Pohlman said. “We also share breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon treat, giving employees from across the organization a chance to connect and get to know one another outside their usual workday.”
Colleen Grant, Northern Santa Barbara County chapter co-president of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, described CoastHills’ partnership with the nonprofit as getting it closer to meeting the goal it’s always strived toward.
“Every child deserves a bed, but many families in our community face circumstances that make that difficult,” Grant stated in a release. “CoastHills’ support—from the volunteers who showed up ready to work to helping cover the cost of mattresses and bedding—brings us closer to ensuring no child in our community has to sleep on the floor.”
Highlights
• On Oct. 13, the Allan Hancock College board of trustees swore in local community leader Elisa Pardo to represent Trustee Area 1, filling the vacant post left by outgoing trustee Hilda Zacarias. A former Hancock student, Pardo has more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership. She’s currently the director of the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal Department at CommUnify. She also serves as the chair of Santa Barbara County’s Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, and as a board member with Community Partners in Caring.
• The Santa Maria Utilities Department will host its fifth annual Pumpkin Smashing on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 1 to 3 p.m., at the Elwin Mussell Senior Center parking lot, at 510 E. Park Ave., Santa Maria. Admission and parking are both free. Participants are encouraged to bring leftover pumpkins and gourds to smash through “pumpkin bowling” and other games, while diverting them for composting rather than ending up in a landfill. Call (805) 925-0951, Ext. 7270, for more info.
Reach Senior Staff Writer Caleb Wiseblood at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in October 22 – October 29, 2026.
