If you’ve ever attended a meeting or program at First Presbyterian Church in Monroe, Mich., you’ve seen the signs and stacks of bedding and furniture to promote the “Now I Lay Me Down” ministry.

The program provides cribs, beds and bedding to needy families.

But the requests for the littlest ones are outstripping demand. Today’s front page of The Monroe Evening News has this report by my co-worker Michelle Swartz: In Short Supply:

An overwhelming need for cribs has a local church ministry in desperate need of donations.

The “Now I Lay Me Down” bed ministry at First Presbyterian Church has been forced to stop taking applications for cribs due to the unusually large response.

“It’s sad to turn people away, but we just don’t have enough cribs to donate to the number of families requesting it,” said Cathy Conner, administrative assistant at the church.

So far this year, 45 cribs have been delivered to families and another 22 applicants are on the waiting list.

“We’re on pace to easily pass last year’s totals,” she said. “I honestly don’t know why there is such a need right now because summer time is usually our slower time. It’s really hard to say other than it’s possibly the economy and families are just trying to pay rent and feed their families.”

The number of applications has been on the rise in recent years. Last year, 66 cribs were given to local families. A total of 56 cribs were given out in 2008, and 46 in 2007. In June alone, the church donated 29 beds and cribs to local families.

The high demand this year has the ministry scrambling for donations. The ministry offers both new and used cribs and twin and bunk beds.

“We normally get donations of used cribs people find in their basements or attics, but we’re hardly getting donations of used cribs right now,” she said.

“Donations save us a lot of money because then we don’t have to go out and buy a new one.”

The Bed Race to Aid Children fundraiser has been a big boost of financial support. The annual event held each October in downtown Monroe raised $45,000 two years ago and $35,000 last year.

“The next bed race isn’t until October and as of right now, we only have about $3,000 left in the ministry’s budget,” Ms. Conner said. “All 100 percent of the money raised goes toward buying cribs and beds, but because of the number of applications, we’re running out of money.

That’s because without donations of new or used cribs and beds, the church ministry must purchase new ones. Each new crib typically costs $160.

“Donations would help get families off the waiting list and save us from spending so much money on new cribs,” she said. “Unless we get funding, we’re going to have to stop taking applications altogether.”

Donations of cribs or money to purchase cribs can be dropped off at First Presbyterian Church, 108 Washington St. According to standard regulations, items the size of a pop can fitting through slats of used cribs cannot be accepted. Also not acceptable are mattresses with cuts or tears. For more information, call the church at (734) 242-1545.