Mid-South Heroes: Friends vow to help young men and women

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Friends! How many of us have four of them who are willing to unite under one vision to change the trajectory of Mid-South young people?

Darren Taylor, a retired Military Logistics Specialist, along with four childhood friends, knew they had experienced success in their own eyes and lives and vowed to ignite, lead and mentor young men and women because their hearts knew it was the right thing to do. So they started 5Friends1Vision.

”We grew up here. We all had a chance to fail. But we didn’t have that type of leadership, mentorship for us coming up as kids, so we got older. We know what this neighborhood needs,” said Taylor.

The Hernando, Mississippi community, surrounded by Hill and College Streets, needed entrepreneurs like Quincy Randle and Tyrone Jones, along with disciple and order found in TN State Trooper Greg Phillips and military veteran Darren Taylor.

And without the fifth friend none of this would be possible.

“Our fifth friend is God. We keep God in everything,” said Taylor.

Everything is possible with friends, a vision, purpose and a plan.

Friends like Darren - motivating others to do their best, as 5Friends1Vision focuses on improving the lives of future generations and demonstrating how making a difference at home, makes an ever changing world, even during a pandemic, a better place.

“He’s a hero for this country, most definitely. He dedicated the majority of the first part of his life to this country,” said Randle. “He never turned his back on where he come from. He loves his hometown. He loves where he grew up at. And so, it really takes a hero to come back from where you come and never turn your back on it after forty years.”

A hero can’t stand tall and fight for his country and hometown without a few heroes.

“My heroes [are] a lot of the forefathers that came before me, that paved the way for me. They pretty much passed the torch to me, to carry. And, those are my heroes, like my uncle, my grandfather, my grandmother, and all my family that came before me,” said Taylor.

It takes a hero to know a hero!

Congratulations Darren Taylor. You are this month's Mid-South Hero.

If you know someone worthy of being called a hero, click here.

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