San Francisco 49ers Ji'Ayir Brown partners with Sleep in Heavenly Peace to build beds for Trenton children
The event took place at Trenton Central High School, Ji'Ayir Brown's alma mater, where volunteers worked together to build beds that would be delivered to local families.
San Francisco 49ers safety and Trenton native Ji'Ayir Brown traded in his football gear for work gloves Tuesday as he partnered with Sleep in Heavenly Peace and community volunteers to build beds for children in need.
The event took place at Trenton Central High School, Brown's alma mater, where volunteers worked together to build beds that would be delivered to local families. The bed build is part of Brown's ongoing commitment to giving back through the Ji'Ayir Brown Foundation.
"Sleep in Heavenly Peace does great work with changing kids' lives and providing kids with the necessities that we all should have," Brown said. "A bed is something we all should be able to sleep in. We all should feel comfortable at night sleeping in our own bed."
Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a nonprofit organization with a simple mission: "No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town." The organization builds and delivers beds to children who would otherwise be sleeping on floors, couches or other makeshift spaces.
Since opening its Trenton delivery hub last September, Sleep in Heavenly Peace has delivered more than 100 beds to local children. Nationally, the organization has delivered more than 400,000 beds since its founding in 2012, with the help of volunteers and community partnerships.
"When we deliver the beds, the families are full of gratitude," said Sarah Fulton, chapter president of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. "The children get really excited to have a bed of their own with new bedding, something that's theirs and special for them. It's a sense of dignity, and the parents are usually really grateful. Sometimes it's hard not to shed a tear."
For Brown, the event is about more than building furniture. He hopes it inspires others to get involved and support their communities.
"There's always resources, there's always volunteers. There's always people willing to help," Brown said. "You just have to surround yourself around those people and... believe it or not, those people are looking for you."
The bed build is one of three community events Brown is participating in this week. Earlier this month, he hosted the EOTA Foundation Football Skills Clinic, and he will wrap up the week with the EOTA Foundation Family Fun Day on July 19, continuing his efforts to invest in the next generation of Trenton youth.
Anyone who would like to volunteer with Sleep in Heavenly Peace can click the link here.
