49ers safety Ji'Ayir Brown helps build 20 beds for Bay Area children

Sleep in Heavenly Peace teamed up with San Francisco 49ers safety Ji'Ayir Brown and his foundation on Oct. 28 in Sunnyvale to build 20 beds for local children in need. The effort adds to Brown’s July bed build in New Jersey and comes as the San Jose chapter says 150 children are still waiting for beds.

Why it matters: - Child bedlessness is still a live need in the Bay Area, including one of the country’s wealthiest regions. - Sleep in Heavenly Peace says a bed supports a child’s physical, emotional and mental development. - The Sunnyvale build adds to a growing local response as families remain on the waitlist.

What happened: - Sleep in Heavenly Peace joined Ji'Ayir Brown and the Ji'Ayir Brown Foundation on Wednesday, Oct. 28, for a community bed build at Lowe’s of Sunnyvale. - Working with the SHP-San Jose chapter, 42 volunteers built 20 beds for children in need. - Volunteers came from SHP-San Jose, the Ji'Ayir Brown Foundation, Knights of Columbus, Lowe’s Red Vest associates and members of the 49ers Faithful. - Brown said Sleep in Heavenly Peace has delivered more than 400,000 beds and that sleep is key to success and a better life.

The details: - Volunteers spent the day measuring, sawing, drilling, sanding and branding raw lumber into finished bed parts. - This was the second time this year Brown worked with Sleep in Heavenly Peace on a child-bedlessness project. - In July, Brown returned to Trenton, New Jersey, to build and deliver beds with the Ji'Ayir Brown Foundation, Trenton Mayor W. Reed Gusciora and SHP-Morris County chapter volunteers. - The two builds together show a coast-to-coast commitment to making sure every child has a bed of their own. - Jordan Allen, CEO of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, said Brown has built beds with the nonprofit on both coasts this year and believes no child should sleep on the floor. - Since summer 2025, the SHP-San Jose chapter has delivered nearly 600 beds. - The chapter says 150 children in the San Jose area are currently waiting for a bed. - Ed Donlon, chapter president of SHP-San Jose, said child bedlessness exists in Silicon Valley and San Jose despite the region’s wealth and high cost of living.

Between the lines: - The partnership gives a high-profile athlete a practical role in a basic-needs issue that often stays out of view. - The Bay Area numbers suggest local demand remains ahead of supply even after hundreds of deliveries. - Brown’s repeated involvement on both coasts suggests the foundation is trying to turn a one-off appearance into an ongoing service effort.

What's next: - Brown is set to wear custom co-branded Sleep in Heavenly Peace and Ji'Ayir Brown Foundation cleats on Sunday, Nov. 29, at Levi’s Stadium when the 49ers host the Seattle Seahawks. - The cleats will be part of the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign. - Parents and caregivers of children ages 3–17 who need a bed can apply at shpbeds.org. - Community members can volunteer, donate, join the Bunkhead Club or start a local chapter.

The bottom line: - The Sunnyvale build turned celebrity support into 20 new beds, while highlighting that hundreds more Bay Area children still need one.