GAYLORD, MI -- It is something many of us take for granted; a comfortable bed and a place to sleep every night.

But a homeless shelter in Gaylord needed some help providing that simple comfort.

A local man has made a difference by giving people down on their luck a place to lay their head.

"I had no idea that it would turn out to be the enormous project that it turned out to be," admitted Brad Anderson.

Plan, precision, and power.  Anderson says building a bunk bed isn't as easy as you might think and he knew building 19 would take a great deal of time.  But the 23-year-old Petoskey man who was one semester away from his welding certification didn't shy away from the challenge or the difference he could make in people’s lives.

“I just really didn't have any idea, and it just took a little while to hit me," said Anderson.

"They’re perfect!  They’re comfortable, they're sturdy, they're going to last a long, long time," said Friendship Shelter Director Marilyn Kaczanowski.

The Friendship Shelter houses hundreds of homeless people each year who need a bed to sleep on.  The shelter got a $10,000 grant from Art Van last year to upgrade the old, rickety bunk beds to these new ones and Kaczanowski wanted to make it a community effort.  She contacted Kirkland Community College’s Michigan Technical Education Center, or M-TEC, in Gaylord.

"When Marilynn approached me, she said is this something we can do, something you can help us with?  I said absolutely, let me figure it out," said M-TEC instructor Mark McCully.

Brad Anderson was the man.

"It was definitely an honor to be trusted with it because it was a big responsibility,” said Anderson.

He designed the beds, he cut the steel, and right now, nine of the 19 new bunks are complete.  He’s spent more than 400 hours fabricating the bunks so far.   314 different welds and seven hours later, the next one is done.

"I was so thrilled the first time I saw the beds because they were exactly what I had pictured in my mind," said Kaczanowski.

“Basically, I think he (Anderson) put his heart and soul into it," said McCully.

Anderson graduated in April, but he's still welding.  Other classmates have jumped on the opportunity to help.

"You get caught up in your own stuff that you have to do.  It's good to find the time to do that," said Anderson.

And the difference made will make a huge impact in the lives of people who need it.  And on a side note, Anderson got his certification, and an "A" in the class.

Alro Steel has supported the effort and discounted the steel price for the beds.

The rest of the grant money will be used to purchase new mattresses and sheets.

All of the bunk beds are expected to be completed by the end of the summer.