October 30, 2026

VTCRC Community Comes Together to Build 40 Beds for Local Children

By Heidi Angle 

PHOTO: More than 120 volunteers registered for a community bed build hosted by the Intuitive Foundation and Sleep in Heavenly Peace at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center. 

Volunteers gathered at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center (VTCRC) on Thursday, Oct. 29, to build 40 beds for local children in need, transforming an employee wellness initiative into a communitywide effort to serve families throughout the New River Valley. 

The event was organized by the Intuitive Foundation‘s Blacksburg chapter in partnership with the New River Valley chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP). Intuitive Surgical, a tenant at the VTCRC, is the company behind the Intuitive Foundation’s local efforts. 

The collaboration united employees and community members in support of children in Montgomery, Pulaski and Giles counties and the city of Radford. 

For Paul Mele, president of SHP’s New River Valley chapter, the mission extends far beyond building furniture. 

“What you’re doing, why you’re here, is because you’ve decided to serve others,” Mele told volunteers during his opening remarks. “You’re here serving community.” 

PHOTO: Paul Mele, president of Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s New River Valley chapter, addresses volunteers alongside Intuitive Foundation organizers Steven Parker and Alyssa Charlton before the bed build. 

Mele, a retired U.S. Army colonel and Virginia Tech alumnus, shared experiences delivering beds to children throughout the region, emphasizing that the need often exists closer to home than people realize. 

He recounted meeting 13-year-old twin sisters who had been sharing a single couch, sleeping head to foot, before receiving beds through the organization. Their experience illustrates the challenges SHP works to address through its mission of ensuring that no child sleeps on the floor. 

“You’re here to keep that from happening,” Mele told the crowd. 

Turning Employee Wellness Into Community Impact 

The event was made possible through the Intuitive Foundation’s employee wellness challenges, which encourage employees to engage in healthy activities while raising money for charitable organizations. 

Through the initiative, the Intuitive Foundation contributed $16,870 to Sleep in Heavenly Peace, helping fund the materials and resources needed to build beds for children throughout the region. 

PHOTO: Representatives of the Intuitive Foundation and Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center gather to recognize a $16,870 contribution to Sleep in Heavenly Peace through the foundation’s employee wellness initiative. 

Alyssa Charlton and Steven Parker, who help coordinate Intuitive Foundation activities at the company’s Blacksburg location, welcomed volunteers and explained how the initiative came together. 

“This was actually our third wellness challenge that contributed to causes in our area,” Charlton said.

Employees log wellness activities ranging from exercise to spending time with friends and family, with the Intuitive Foundation contributing funds to a selected charitable organization. 

Following the opening remarks, volunteers spread across workstations to measure, cut, sand, assemble and prepare wooden bed components. SHP volunteers provided instruction and oversight throughout the process, emphasizing safety and craftsmanship. 

PHOTO: Volunteers apply wood stain to bed components during the Oct. 29 build. Participants worked across multiple stations to prepare and assemble 40 beds for children in need. 

A Community United Through Service 

The VTCRC supported the event by providing space near its picnic pavilion and helping promote the volunteer opportunity throughout the research park. 

Five members of the VTCRC’s Innovations team also participated, working alongside volunteers to prepare bed components. 

PHOTO: Members of the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center’s Innovations team help sand wooden bed components during the volunteer event. 

The event highlighted how partnerships formed within the VTCRC can extend beyond business and innovation to make a meaningful difference throughout the New River Valley. 

After just a few hours, volunteers had built 40 beds, each representing an opportunity for a child in the New River Valley to have a safe, comfortable place to sleep. 

PHOTO: Completed wooden bed components bearing the Sleep in Heavenly Peace logo await delivery and assembly in children’s homes throughout the New River Valley. 

Through the combined efforts of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, the Intuitive Foundation and the volunteers who answered the call to serve, the event demonstrated the power of community collaboration and the difference that can be made when people work toward a shared purpose. 

For the children who will receive the beds, the impact will extend well beyond a single day — offering a comfortable place to rest, sleep and call their own. 

For more information about Sleep in Heavenly Peace, including opportunities to volunteer, donate or request a bed for a child in need, visit shpbeds.org. 

Stay Connected With the VTCRC 

Want to see more from the event? Explore our full photo album on Facebook, find additional highlights on Instagram, and follow us on LinkedIn for more stories celebrating the people, organizations and partnerships that make up the VTCRC community. 

To discover upcoming events, networking opportunities and community initiatives — including volunteer opportunities like this one — visit our full events calendar, subscribe to our newsletter, and find new ways to get involved. 

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