We recognize that the need for sleep is universal, and yet the ability to afford a quality mattress is not; we seek to provide quality mattresses where assistance is necessary.
Hello people of the Portland, Beaverton and Hillsboro, Oregon area!
We are still moving towards our goal of becoming, and we will be giving updates on our progress as we go. Currently, we are focusing on fundraising so we can get mattresses rolling out to those who need them. I want to thank everyone who has helped us so far and everyone who will be pitching in as we move forward. Our community is full of wonderful and amazing people, and I am so happy to be working with you all.
–Sarah Ashcraft
With the rise of living costs comes the upsurge in homelessness and poverty. This increase in demand puts strains on shelters and the amount of resources they have to serve as many people as they can. New shelters – both permanent and seasonal – are on the rise, yet we still see shelters struggle for quality items to give to people in need, especially in terms of sleeping materials.
In addition to this, the founders of MIR regularly encounter individuals who are searching for quality mattresses yet cannot afford the lowest priced new mattress due to their income and budget limitations. None of these people seem to need quality sleep any less than the people who can afford quality mattresses. We believe that a person should not have to compromise on sleep quality, regardless of their income.
Our target markets are homeless shelters and individuals in need in the Greater Portland area.
The Mattresses in Reach team is composed of experts on mattress and furniture sales, with non-profit, warehouse, and store management experience. The team is aware of the disparity between the cost of a quality mattress and what many in our community can afford.
In 2019, an average of 15,800 people experienced homelessness on any given day in Oregon (using best available data). Shelters are already fully inundated with the effects of homelessness and still struggle to meet the needs of people. 5,814 beds are needed to bridge the gap between the resources the state-wide shelters provide and the current needs of our population.
In addition, 7.3% of Washington County’s population lives in poverty, unable to obtain the basic resources needed. Many people in the Portland metro region are not economically stable and thus would benefit from the quality mattress Mattresses in Reach (MIR) would provide.
Meet our Executive Director:
Sarah Ashcraft has a Bachelor of Arts in Language Arts Teaching from George Fox University, management and mattress sales experience, and spent her formative years in Germany, Belgium, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, with a fairly small amount of time in the U.S. She loves crafting, knitting, crocheting, painting rocks, and running her own candle-making shop.
Meet our Board of Directors:
Beth Dasher – Secretary
Beth Dasher has 25 years experience working in non-profit, focusing on areas of pregnancy and early childhood/parenting. Her recent focus has been on program management and mentorship to new managers. Her experience includes program budget planning and monitoring, and she has specialized training in organizational goal setting and logic models for implementation.
Ryan Snodgrass – Treasurer
Snodgrass serves as Treasurer for Mattresses in Reach, where he helps manage the organization’s budget and financial records. With a background in financial services, he works to ensure that donations are handled responsibly and that resources are used in ways that directly support families in need of safe, comfortable beds.
Ryan values the opportunity to support the mission of Mattresses in Reach by combining his professional skills with his passion for community service. He believes that strong financial stewardship allows the organization to make the greatest possible impact for the families it serves.
Julie Price – Chair
My name is Julie. I grew up in the Portland Metro area and, over the years, have planned and been involved in community service with several organizations. I participated in community holiday dinners, road clean-ups, skill trainings, and food donation drives. I also led and planned an annual “feeding the hungry” event, where we made hundreds of lunches to hand out along with toiletries, socks, handmade winter gear, and water bottles, for anyone who could use them. For several years, we were also able to set up our camp stove and make warm soup and coffee to hand out as well. I also worked at a local summer camp for three years.
I have 11 years of leadership experience, starting at age 15 in Scouting America. Through them, I held various positions on a crew and council level. Additionally, I have 7 years of event planning experience, ranging from fundraisers to community service projects to week-long excursions. I managed my scouts’ social media, as well as the social media for the Corps of Discovery, a community service organization that was run along side Scouting America.
I have 5 years of purchasing experience on various levels, ranging from a single department to managing multiple locations.
Nowadays, I spend most of my free time playing with my four animals, two dogs named Rue and Thistle, and two cats, Nyx and Nebula. The pups and I try to spend as much time as we can enjoying the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Our favorite trips are to the beach, Champoeg State Park, and Forest Park. I am also an avid crocheter and knitter, with a passion for amigurumi and winter gear.
Mattresses In Reach 