Dedham High woodworking class makes beds for homeless women

Twenty homeless women have new beds to sleep in, thanks to a woodworking class at Dedham High School. Students in the school’s wood technology program built 10 bunk beds for the Lifebridge homeless shelter in Salem and assembled them at the site in time for the holidays. The beds replaced 10 cots in the women’s dorm, according to Lifebridge’s program specialist, Hannah Colbert. “All the beds are full, and the women are ecstatic,” Colbert said last week. “There’s no more creaking and sinking into the mattresses. It’s much more comfortable and there’s room for storage.” She said a local Boy Scout troop had donated bunk beds years ago for the men’s dormitory at the shelter, which also provides services to help residents get back on their feet and find permanent residences. The high school’s custodian, Rich McCann, coordinated the project. East Dedham Builders Supply donated materials, and the town Parks and Recreation Department donated a van for transportation.