MEMPHIS, Tenn. – “When I see somebody hungry. I feel the same way. I want to help them as much as I can. Memphis, we do have a homeless problem that a lot of people overlook,” said Adrian Davis, Community Service Leaders of America (CSLA).
An injury on the job forced a Memphis Firefighter to step away from the department, at least for now. But he’s found a new calling where he can still help those in need during a crisis.
Being a firefighter was not just a job for Adrian Davis, it was his passion, to help those in need. While he can no longer run into burning buildings to save people. That’s not stopping him from being of service to people in his community.
“I miss fighting fires. I miss being the first person you call in a crisis, but now I can help people at a broader scale and it fills that void,” said Davis.
Adrian Davis committed his life to fighting fires and saving lives, until he said he was hit by a drunk driver while rescuing two people from a car fire in 2021.
“I was bed ridden for three months. It took about six months to get myself going. I was depressed for two weeks,” said Davis. That depression came when he was forced to hang up his bunker gear until further notice due to his injuries. To overcome his sadness, Davis said he discovered another way to help those in need.
“Sometimes your pain can turn into a pursuit of action,” said Davis.
That pursuit of action spearheaded Community Service Leaders of America, a nonprofit that provides resources to those in need throughout the community. Davis normally feeds the homeless. His last event served more than 300 people. This weekend he’s casting a wider net by hosting a health fair at Health Sciences Park Saturday.
“I am really blessed to be apart of this organization and being entrusted in bringing this community health fair to our city,” said Shanndolyn Rischardson, CSLA.
More than 40 vendors are participating in this health fair. Children entering kindergarten can receive vaccinations. Women can get mammograms on the spot and people can address mental health needs. Those are just a few of the many resources available this weekend.
“The goal was to make sure any provider would be able to see the patient whether they had commercial insurance, Medicare, Medicaid or even if they had a sliding scale fee,” said Richardson.
If you don’t have health insurance don’t let that stop you from coming out to the event. There are grants available to cover the cost. The event is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Source: Fox13 Memphis (Click for Original Article)
