Halifax, NS, December 12, 2013 -- Just in time for the holidays, Sleep Country CoFounder and President Christine Magee today announced her company will replace the beds and bedding at Bryony House, a Halifax shelter for women and families affected by domestic violence. The beds, pillows, mattress covers and sheets will be delivered and set up today at the transition house. “We know that on any given day in Canada, more than 3,300 women, along with their 3,000 children, are forced to sleep in an emergency shelter to escape domestic violence,” said Magee, who made the announcement at Sleep Country’s Spring Garden Road store. “Sleep Country is committed to helping woman and children in need. There is a very real, proven need for facilities like Bryony House, so supporting a shelter in need by providing new beds was one of our priorities when we opened for business here in Nova Scotia. We are thrilled with the reception that we have received since our arrival this summer and it’s part of our culture and commitment to give back to the communities we serve.” Sleep Country will provide 22 new twin mattresses, as well as pillows, mattress covers and sheet sets to replace bedding for all the beds at Bryony House. The donation will also include mattress encasements designed to protect the beds over the coming years. Magee added this is just the beginning of a partnership with the shelter. “Bryony House provides a supportive, welcoming home for people when they need it most. For that reason, this donation of new beds is especially valuable. It will go a long way to helping make women and their families feel more comfortable when they arrive and during their stay,” said Laurie Ehler, Executive Director of Bryony House. “Many thanks to Sleep Country for this generous donation. We look forward to receiving the new beds at the house today and we are thrilled to have Sleep Country as a partner moving forward.” Community involvement and environmental sustainability are core values influencing Sleep Country’s business approach. Sleep Country also offers a local Bed Donation Program that makes used beds available – for free – to families and children in need. In addition to Bryony House, Sleep Country’s Bed Donation Program also helps clients of the YWCA Halifax’s Supportive Housing for Young Mothers (SHYM) Program, Shelter Nova Scotia and Salvation Army, to name a few. Mattresses that can’t be repurposed by the community through the Bed Donation Program are sent to Quebec to be 100 per cent recycled. “We’re proud to be the only major mattress retailer in Canada to commit to a comprehensive recycling program. If your current mattress is in good shape when we deliver its replacement, we’ll donate your old mattress to a local charity. Otherwise, it is sent to a recycler where it is broken down into its component parts for recycling. This is all part of Sleep Country Canada’s efforts that will divert thousands of mattresses from Nova Scotia landfills every year,” Magee said. About Sleep Country Canada Sleep Country LP owns and operates 253 corporate-owned stores. In Canada, Sleep Country is the largest mattress retailer with 162 stores in nine regional markets and 46 stores in Quebec under the Dormez-vous banner. The company also owns Sleep America, Arizona’s largest mattress retailer with 45 stores. Sleep Country Canada will open its fifth Nova Scotia store in the coming days at 50 Highfield Park Drive, Unit #100 in Dartmouth. Since August, Sleep Country has opened stores in downtown Halifax, Bayers Lake, Bedford Commons and New Minas. For more information about the company visit www.sleepcountry.ca, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SleepCountryCanada and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SleepCountryCan. About Bryony House Bryony House is a 24-bed shelter for women and children fleeing situations of abuse in the Halifax area. Each year, approximately 470 women and children stay with us and 2,500 distress calls are answered. Dedicated counselors are there to answer the 24- hour distress line, provide individual/group supportive counseling, public education, advocacy and referrals. Women who contact Bryony House come from many walks of life, socio-economic classes and cultural backgrounds. What they have in common is that they are in, or are fleeing, an abusive intimate relationship. For more information, visit www.bryonyhouse.ca. ### For more information and to arrange an interview with Sleep Country or Bryony House, please contact: Holly Dunn, Dunn & Associates Communications and Public Affairs 902-266-3866 holly.dunn@dunnassociates.ca