Help Marcus Continue to Bring Hope to Louisville's Needy

I am Janice, a three year long volunteer with the Father Jack Jones Food Pantry (in partnership with Dare to Care) at 2914 South 3rd Street in Louisville, Kentucky. I would like to introduce you to Marcus Bishop, a man who's primary focus is to search out and help those who are hungry and homeless. In order to continue feeding and clothing those in desperate need Marcus needs a dependable vehicle. I am asking you to assist me in providing funds for Marcus to purchase this vehicle so he may continue serving those in need throughout his local Louisville community.

Please spend a few minutes reading about Marcus and what he strives to do! I've summed up some simple thoughts but please read on to learn why I'm determined to help Marcus get a vehicle to continue his service!

Marcus sees those people that are invisible to most of us.

Marcus seeks out and helps the needy.

Marcus cares for those who are ignored by most of us.

Marcus remembers those whom are forgotten.

Marcus's heart is warmed when he helps those in need.

Marcus brings hope to the disadvantaged & life back to the overdosed.

Currently being without a vehicle, Marcus is disappointed and frustrated because he can't help "his people" as he feels he should.

This GoFundMe is for the benefit of Marcus Bishop, the most giving and generous person I have ever met! Have you ever heard that you should give of your TIME, your TALENT and your TREASURE? This describes Marcus in a nutshell! Often it is DIFFICULT for us to give of our TIME and our TALENT, but I'm asking you today to join me and share some of your TREASURE in order to help Marcus give of his TIME and TALENT!

Several times a week in his modest apartment, Marcus cooks up crockpots of stew or chili and fills thermoses with strong coffee. He loads up his truck and drives to areas where he knows those in true need gather; homeless encampments, Waterson Park, 7th Street, the Wyandotte area, the train tracks as well as the area near Churchill Downs (if you are familiar with Louisville- you know these are areas that most of us try to avoid!) Marcus serves up bowls of hot food and Styrofoam cups of steaming coffee to those who need something warm and nourishing to eat. If it's not bowls of food, then it's premade plates of food he prepared at home and covered in foil to hand out as he walks down the streets.

As to TREASURE, Marcus doesn't have much money but usually he has some clothes, a few winter coats, toboggans, gloves, and socks in the back of his truck that he hands out if he sees someone without and in need. Sometimes he even has sleeping bags or tents if he can find them for cheap at the local thrift store. As I mentioned Marcus doesn't have much in terms of money but as you can see, he gives much more than he ever receives.

Over the past several years, Marcus has been dealing with various health conditions. This made performing his job difficult so much that he was close to being classified as physically disabled. One day in 2021, after returning from a family event he saw a black cloud of smoke rising from a neighbor's home. Marcus ran to their front door but was unable to break through. He heard children screaming inside and knew he had no other option except to punch through the plate glass window in the front of the house! The blowback was fierce but he fought his way back to the shattered window, reached through the jagged and broken glass and pulled the two children out one at a time as well as their mother. Marcus was told later that the kid's father intentionally set the fire to kill his family stating "If I can't have her, no one can!"

Needless to say, Marcus's right arm was sliced to the bone in four areas. He nearly died from blood loss and smoke inhalation but after recovering, he said that he felt like "I was meant to be there!" As of today, Marcus has had eight surgeries to his right arm and is left with limitations in movement and strength. His right arm will never be normal nor as good as new. Because of his heroic actions, Marcus is on permanent disability but he has never once regretted saving those children and their mother!

Marcus lives in the same part of town where many hungry and homeless congregate. His area is also know for extensive drug abuse and accidental overdoses. People in his area know Marcus and are aware that he is always willing to try to help those who need him. People often come pounding on his apartment door screaming that someone has overdosed. Marcus runs out his door with Narcan in hand and has been able to successfully revive dozens of people who have accidentally overdosed. He tries to keep a good supply of Narcan on hand and luckily has received many of these life saving kits from pop up awareness tents and by calling 1-800 numbers for overdose prevention services.

Now I'm at the point in my GoFundMe request to explain how I met this amazing man, Marcus Bishop. As I mentioned, I've been a volunteer at the Father Jack Jones Food Pantry for three years now. About 2 years ago, a client (Marcus) started coming to the pantry seeking food. His arm was in a cast and a sling. I asked what happened and he explained that he cut his arm on glass. Week after week he came for food, still with the arm bandaged and in a sling. Every so often I asked about his arm and he mentioned that another surgery was scheduled soon and that he wouldn't be back for awhile. Never once did he tell me how he cut his arm nor did he mention his heroic actions that saved lives! Only months later did someone else tell me how his injury actually occurred.

One day Marcus was going through the line getting food when he noticed the pantry manager trying to lug a large table up the basement steps by herself. No one was attempting to help her so with his good arm he grabbed one end of the table and together they managed to get it up the steps, to the pantry area where they filled it with food. Once again, Marcus has found another way to serve the hungry and give back to those in need! This food pantry is a wholly volunteer "manned" pantry with only one paid employee- the pantry manager. Without the time and effort that Marcus serves at this pantry, it would not exist. Marcus is the number one volunteer; being present four days a week and putting in at least 20 to 24 hours unpaid. Not only does he distribute food when the pantry is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays but he picks up food donations, stocks shelves, makes kid's treat bags and makes up "homeless bags" filled with food items that don't need cooking or that can be cooked over a campfire. As to Marcus's dedication to our food pantry- he was involved in a car accident and placed in a neck brace at the emergency department. The next day the pantry manager tried to block him from entering the pantry and attempted to force him to go home, take time off and heal. But if you know Marcus, he ignored her pleas, refused to go home, pushed his way into the pantry and went to work as if nothing happened. This is just some of the TIME Marcus gives back to his community.

Now let me tell you about TALENT! Marcus is a wonderful chef and grill champion! Several times a month he loads his two grills and bags of charcoal into his truck and sets them up near the food pantry. By 9am he has the chicken barbequing on the grill and by 10am he has the hot dogs and hamburgers ready to serve those who need a hot meal! Word gets around (as well as the yummy aroma in the air) and the lunch line forms! For some, this is the first hot meal they've had in weeks. I know this sounds corny- but like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz, you can almost see Marcus's heart grow as he hands a steamy plate of nourishing food to a homeless and hungry person!

Unfortunately, Marcus is no longer able to satisfy his drive to help those in need. His 2001, 23 year old truck has broken down beyond repair. He is no longer able to drive the streets and take food, clothing and Narcan to those in need. He can't help pick up local food deliveries for the food pantry and needs to find rides or take the bus when serving at the pantry.

MARCUS NEEDS A DEPENDABLE VEHICLE TO CONTINUE HIS MISSION IN SERVING THE UNDERPRIVELAGED IN HIS (OUR) COMMUNITY!

As I mentioned- we are asked to give of our TIME, TALENT and TREASURE! Marcus is the prime example of giving of his TIME, TALENT and his very limited TREASURE!

PLEASE, I ask you to assist me in raising funds for Marcus to purchase a vehicle in order to continue his mission in helping those who are forgotten, ignored, invisible, hungry, cold and disadvantaged! Please repost this GoFundMe on your social media platforms and ask other to do so also

If we are fortunate enough to raising more funds than necessary to purchase a dependable vehicle, Marcus will use the excess to buy winter coats, Narcan, sleeping bags and food for those in need.

PLEASE help me help Marcus!

Thank you,

Janice