08/22/2026
First-year students at Sewanee are beginning their college experience with an early introduction to community service and the communities surrounding the University.
On Thursday evening, members of the Monteagle-Sewanee Rotary Club introduced a group of incoming students to Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit that builds and donates beds to area children in need. Rotary Secretary Martha Krenson, President Mary Beth Tate, and past president Michael Payne shared their experiences with the organization and the impact its work has on local children and families.
They were joined by SCCF Executive Director Paul McKee, Board Chair Eddie Krenson, Grants Committee Chair Betty Carpenter, and board member Amy Patterson, who also serves as Director of Sewanee’s Office of Civic Engagement.
This morning, the students spent time building beds at the Sleep in Heavenly Peace workshop in Monteagle as part of a first-year experience program organized with Sewanee’s Office of Civic Engagement.
McKee was struck by how quickly Sewanee connects its newest students with the surrounding community. “Many have just landed in Tennessee, some for the very first time, and they haven’t even had the chance to fully unpack their suitcases before jumping into a service project that benefits our community,” he said.
That spirit of service continues throughout the year. SCCF staff, board members, and volunteers regularly participate in Sewanee’s annual Martin Luther King Day of Service, when more than 400 students, staff, and community members come together to build beds and make blankets in support of Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
SCCF is proud to support Sleep in Heavenly Peace and grateful for its continuing partnership with the University of the South.
