HOUSTON, Oct. 31, 2017 — During the 2017 Accolades Luncheon on Friday, Oct. 27, the CHILDREN AT RISK foundation honored Mattress Firm president and CEO Ken Murphy with the Accolades award for the work Mattress Firm has done for children in the Houston community through the Mattress Firm Foster Kids program.
The Texas-based foundation recognizes leaders who support the company’s mission to help all children thrive while making Texas a place where children’s needs are a priority. CHILDREN AT RISK honored Murphy and Mattress Firm for being a powerful driving force in making a difference in the lives of children in foster care across Texas.
“I am truly humbled by this acknowledgement from CHILDREN AT RISK,” said Murphy. “Our goal is to provide children in the foster care system and their families with the essential items they need to succeed. Alongside our non-profit partners, we hope to make a difference in the lives of foster kids and help them beat the odds.”
The Mattress Firm Foster Kids program, through the Ticket to Dream foundation, was created in response to requests for support from local nonprofit foster care organizations, citing needs for essential items like shoes, clothing, pajamas and school supplies for the over 400,000 foster children across the nation. As a result, the company has committed to helping these children and every year the stores host six item drives with all proceeds going to carefully selected nonprofit foster care partners across the country. Since 2015, Mattress Firm Foster Kids has raised over $7 million and collected 1.5 million essential items for foster kids.
“Ken Murphy and the Mattress Firm Foster Kids program are the guiding lights for children in Houston and throughout Texas,” said Dr. Bob Sanborn, President and CEO of CHILDREN AT RISK. “We are recognizing Mr. Murphy because of his and Mattress Firm’s commitment to advocate for those who can’t advocate for themselves, not only in Texas but across the nation.”
CHILDREN AT RISK serves as a catalyst for change to improve the quality of life for children through strategic research, public policy, collaboration and advocacy. Through its research and advocacy programs, the foundation is a leader in understanding and educating the community and policy makers about the health, safety and economic indicators that impact children, while advocating for the importance of improving the lives of children.
About Mattress Firm
Founded in 1986, Mattress Firm strives to help customers find the beds they want at the price that fits their budget. Today, Mattress Firm has grown to be America’s largest bed retailer, with more than 3,000 neighborhood stores and a passion for helping people find the right bed. Mattress Firm helps customers’ budget stretch further with a broad selection of mattresses and bedding accessories from leading manufacturers and brand names, including Serta, Simmons, Dream Bed, tulo and Sleepy’s. In 2016, Mattress Firm was acquired by Steinhoff International Holdings. Committed to serving its communities, the Mattress Firm Foster Kids, a program of the Ticket to Dream Foundation, hosts six collection drives a year in communities nationwide to ensure that foster children have the resources needed to succeed.
About Ticket to Dream
The Ticket to Dream Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to provide hope and opportunity to foster children across the nation, so they can just be kids. Joining forces with local companies, communities and non-profits they work to ensure foster children have essentials like school supplies, properly fitting clothing and shoes and holiday gifts. The fund vital support services and enriching life experiences that allow foster children to heal and grow into their full potential. For more information, please visit www.tickettodream.org.
About CHILDREN AT RISK
CHILDREN AT RISK is a non-profit organization leading the way to improving the quality of life for Texas’ children through research, collaboration, and advocacy. CHILDREN AT RISK educates the community and public officials based on its groundbreaking research which tracks children’s health, safety, education, and economic conditions. By understanding children’s needs and speaking out on their behalf, CHILDREN AT RISK drives change. For more information, visit www.childrenatrisk.org, FaceBook and Twitter.
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