MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Every Tuesday, as part of our Community Changers series, we highlight organizations making Memphis better. This week, we caught up with a group that believes in treating everyone with respect.

“I’m writing to you today to express my admiration for the work being done by a nonprofit organization called Big Brother Helping Hands,” said Derrick James, a team member, as he read the nomination email sent to News Channel 3.

Big Brother Helping Hands provides meals and essential items to the less fortunate. Keith Emmons is the founder. “Give them basic needs like toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, towels. Whatever we can get, we give it to them.”

Keith says they’re not rich, of course, but it doesn’t take much to feed somebody.

WREG caught up with Big Brother Helping Hands as they loaded up their SUV with brown paper lunch bags filled with ham sandwiches, crackers and cliff bars, along with bottles of water.

Growing up, Keith and his family didn’t have much. “Sometimes we had to eat sugar bread. A lot of people don’t know what that is. Ketchup sandwiches. So I know what it feels like to not have food.”

Each red bag is filled with essential items everyone needs. Keith knows how critical those items are as well. “To make you feel like you’re somebody. There’s nothing better than waking up in the morning and being able to wash your face and brush your teeth.”

We followed Keith and his team as they made their first stop at the corner of Poplar and Cleveland. That is where we met Shandra Phillips, who says prices have gone up in the grocery store. “They’ve gone up tremendously.”

“They’re humans,” said Keith. “And just like you can be here today, you can be down here tomorrow. The way they’re down here today, they can be up here tomorrow. You never know when you might need some help. So you’ve got to be careful how you treat people.”

That is why Brown Missionary Baptist Church wanted to give Big Brother Helping Hands $1,000 because you should respect everyone, even your neighbors in need. A true community changer.

For more information about Big Brother Helping Hands, click here.