Marcus Bishop: Still Running to the Fire
The last thing Marcus wanted to do that day was go to a cookout.
Six months earlier his younger brother had passed away. The cookout was for his niece’s first birthday, his brother’s only child. The “Balloon Release” party to honor his brother and celebrate his niece was going to be emotionally rough, but he knew he had to go. For his niece if no one else.
Sitting out back, he saw the smoke. He knew the black cloud coming from the neighbor’s house wasn’t from a grill, so he ran to check. When he saw the flames and heard kids’ screams, he knew what he needed to do.
‘LIKE I WAS MEANT TO BE THERE”
Marcus ran to the front door but couldn’t bust through. The children screamed louder. He punched his right arm through the plate glass picture window. The blowback was fierce, but he fought back to the opening, reached in, and pulled the kids out one at a time. Marcus’ arm was sliced to the bone in four places.
Though he nearly died from loss of blood and smoke inhalation, Marcus said later, “It was like I was meant to be there.”
Today, Marcus continues to run toward the fire to selflessly, anonymously, help those in need. But this fire is his grill. It’s where he’s meant to be.
HE GIVES PEOPLE HOPE
Monday through Thursday Marcus Bishop volunteers at the Father Jack Jones Food Pantry. Once or twice a month on a Wednesday, Pantry Day, he fires up the grill to cook hot dogs and chicken for the people in line to pick up fresh produce, meats and other essential household items they need to get by.
“It gives people hope,” said Marcus when asked why he shows up and cooks for everyone. “I’ll cook for you, talk to you, pray with you…whatever…to make their day better.”
After the house fire and multiple surgeries to his damaged arm, Marcus lost his job and went on disability. He became a client of the pantry.
For anyone who’s met Marcus, it’s no surprise he quickly became friends with the people in line and the volunteers. When he noticed that all the volunteers at that time were women, he started to come more frequently and earlier to help set things up. He became a volunteer himself.
“I’m the muscle,” he says with a smile. “Just in case.”
Marcus has a natural instinct to help and protect others, which is something he learned from his mother, Juanita. To this day, Marcus honors his mom by giving out plates of home-cooked food to his neighbors, “whenever.” Instead of saving his generosity for a special day like Thanksgiving, he does what he calls “PlatesGiving” whenever he can.
“I call my operation, ‘Nita & Sons,” to honor my mom and brother.” Just last week ‘Nita & Sons served plates to 16 of his neighbors on 7th Street. He cooked up six turkeys, two hams and 50 pounds of potatoes.
At Father Jack Jones, Marcus stocks shelves, lugs heavy loads of food up and down the basement stairs, and does whatever needs to be done behind the scenes to make the community feel welcomed and respected.
“Marcus shows up early and stays late—whatever it takes to serve others and get the job done,” said Harmony Lanham, Pantry Coordinator. “He’s incredibly selfless and doesn’t do any of this work for the recognition, but rather for the good of our community.”
On the Wednesday’s he cooks, he plays music and pretty much hosts the party! When he spots kids in line, he counts them up, disappears down the stairs into the pantry, and pops back out with popsicles or cupcakes. He hands them out to the kids one at a time, welcoming them by name, and asking how they’re doing. Their faces light up!
“A lot of these people are overlooked,” he says. “When I’m part of the solution, their days are better and my days are better. These are my friends. I’d do anything for them.”
Probably even run through fire.