In 2015, Scott Smalling felt a calling to create a line of beds that could be used to support disaster relief efforts and homelessness. Shortly after, he started Relief Bed International.
Recently Relief Bed has made significant donations, including 1,000 beds to support people displaced by the war in Ukraine, 500 beds in support of families forced out by the earthquakes in Turkey, and 100 beds to help families and the homeless affected by the wildfires in Maui.
“The last 10 years have been the most rewarding of my career,” he said. “Although, we could not have done it without the financial support of our corporate and private donors.”
Relief Bed has enjoyed commercial collaborations over the years with companies that desired to add a giving-back component to their business. Many times, these types of ventures are too work intensive and cost prohibitive for companies to manage and create on their own. So Relief Bed creates turn-key programs for partners to seamlessly integrate giving into their business.
Smalling, called a “serial entrepreneur” by his colleagues, has now created two unique companies that help support the non-profit so that it can become as self-sustaining as possible.
The first company, Relief Products LLC, is a commercial sleep-focused company that supplies bedding and furniture to shelters, municipalities, camps and other similar organizations. Relief Products donates beds to Relief Bed International for distribution to its global relief partners.
Most recently, Smalling created Relief Bed Wholesale, which sells residential furniture and bedding via online and in the showroom in Tacoma, Washington. What makes RBW unique is its focus on giving back, Smalling said.
RBW donates 10% of its net revenue in the form of beds distributed through Relief Bed International and its global relief partners. RBW is also seeking other non-profits through a program called “Welcome Home.” For more information, contact [email protected]
