Local 24 got the chance to meet Memphis teenagers that spent part of their Saturday off the court to serve others.
The Whitehaven High School boy’s basketball team spent hours Saturday packing lunches for the homeless. This comes as the Mid-South is in a freeze warning.
Whitehaven Basketball team head coach Faragi Phillips is always trying to instill what it means to be a servant to others to his basketball team and Saturday they put it to action. Every Saturday the team practices, but this Saturday it was different.
“We try to start off on the right foot and build on something pretty special for this upcoming season,” said Head Coach, Faragi Phillips. “What we do is much bigger than basketball here in my program. We try to teach our kids the importance of giving back being a servant leader and just being a blessing to others because that’s how you get blessed.”
Right after practice, the boys prepared nearly 100 meals to be distributed to the homeless in Memphis.
“Anytime you have the opportunity to just give back to the people who need it you should,” said Alvin Miles, a Whitehaven High School basketball player.
Phillips coached more than half of the team since they were in seventh grade and now that they’re high schoolers, he says it’s necessary to teach them life lessons off the court.
“We trying to do this more often than not and my challenge is for our school system, association here, SCIAA, SCS…to make this a mandate get more programs and more schools to get out and do what we’re trying to do today,” Phillips stressed.
The team took the meals to the Union Mission of Memphis and gave whatever meals were left to the homeless at Morris Park. Many players say the deed made them feel good, their coach says the mission is to show the team how to improve the community.
“It’s a blessing because everybody isn’t blessed to be provided with food every day and so it’s our job to help provide them with it,” said Matthew Murrell, a Whitehaven High School Basketball Player.
Phillips hopes to do more of these service projects in the future.
