49ers Help Make Holidays Brighter
By Robert Haugh

Helping make the holidays brighter for several Bay Area youth, 49ers players recently dropped their Gridiron gear for shopping carts, embarking on shopping sprees in the fifth annual Visa Shop with a Player event.

Paired with low-income youth from InnVision the Way Home, players were provided $300 Visa gift cards, courtesy of Visa, to shop with each child and their families.

Players participating in the event included Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker, Braylon Edwards, Ricky Jean Francois and Mike Iupati.

Just 24 hours after clinching the NFC West championship, the players were thrilled at splurging, but not on themselves. Rather they spent the day helping low-income youth buy holiday gifts for their families.

The young people were dressed for success, sporting custom-made jerseys with their designated players’ name and number. Each child was given a $300 Visa gift card to spend at a local Target.

"I’ve been blessed to be in the NFL and to be able to give back, and I think we’re obligated to do so to those who are less fortunate, just because we should. We are blessed to have the fans, the family, the support, so we should definitely give that back when we can," said Edwards. "When we have events like this, we love doing it and we love giving our time, as well as our energy to friends and family."

Besides enjoying shopping with the kids, 49ers defensive tackle Ricky Jean Francois was touched by the selfless spirit of the kids, so he decided to give them each a gift of their own, an iPod Touch.

"I had to show love to the kids because they were so busy trying to get things for their house and family, they never got the chance to find something for themselves. When I told them you can get whatever you want out of the store, everybody looked shocked and didn’t say anything," said Jean Francois. "I appreciate the moments being out here with the kids helping them shop, they showed me how fun it can be. When you have kids around you that are smiling all day, you have fun. I wish I could do this every day with them."

"In today’s world it is such a difficult time, as we have so many families in need. So, to get this opportunity to bring 20 of our children, all middle-school aged, to shop for others, what a great moment—it’s magical, remarkable," said Jaynie Neveras, community relations manager for InnVision. "The best part is they are giving to others and they’re just so excited to be here."

InnVision the Way Home is the leading provider of housing and services for homeless and at-risk families and individuals in Silicon Valley, serving over 27,000 men, women, children, veterans and the mentally ill each year. In addition to various levels of shelter and housing, InnVision offers comprehensive services for emergency care and tools for self-sufficiency and empowering homeless people to gain the stability and skills necessary to reach independent living in our community; meeting both emergency and long-term needs of the homeless and at-risk individuals and families.