Barbers Who Care Free Haircut & Back-to-School Drive
Today we’re joined by Kenny Duncan, CEO and co-founder of Barbers Who Care — a celebrity barber, salon owner, and nationally recognized educator. For 16 years, Kenny and his team have been uplifting Philadelphia youth through mentorship, health and wellness, and their annual Barbers Who Care Free Haircut & Back-to-School Drive. This year’s event takes place Sunday, August 24, 2025, from 10 AM – 3 PM at the West Philadelphia YMCA (5120 Chestnut Street). Along with free haircuts for children ages 5–17, families will receive bookbags, school supplies, and access to valuable community resources.
🌐 Website: barberswhocare.com
📱 Socials: @barberswhocareinc
Honoring Minority Organ Donor Awareness Month
In recognition of August as Minority Organ Donor Awareness Month, we’re sharing powerful stories that highlight the lifesaving impact of organ donation within communities of color. This episode features Maxine Williams of Audubon, PA, widow of Al Williams — a U.S. Navy veteran, General Mills employee, coach, and kidney recipient. Al’s transplant in 2011 gave him 12 more years of life, during which he witnessed milestones he once thought impossible while on dialysis — including his son Nico’s high school and college graduations. Al was a passionate advocate for organ donation, sharing his gratitude publicly and inspiring others to register as a Gift of Life Ambassador. Together, Maxine and her family continue this legacy through The Al Williams Foundation, promoting preventative health, wellness, and the power of organ donation. Their story embodies the profound gift of a second chance at life — and the importance of increasing organ donor registration in minority communities.
🔗 Learn more and register as an organ donor at www.donors1.org — the Gift of Life Donor Program.
📱 Follow Gift of Life:
Today we’re joined by Kenny Duncan, CEO and co-founder of Barbers Who Care — a celebrity barber, salon owner, and nationally recognized educator. For 16 years, Kenny and his team have been uplifting Philadelphia youth through mentorship, health and wellness, and their annual Barbers Who Care Free Haircut & Back-to-School Drive. This year’s event takes place Sunday, August 24, 2025, from 10 AM – 3 PM at the West Philadelphia YMCA (5120 Chestnut Street). Along with free haircuts for children ages 5–17, families will receive bookbags, school supplies, and access to valuable community resources.
🌐 Website: barberswhocare.com
📱 Socials: @barberswhocareinc
Honoring Minority Organ Donor Awareness Month
In recognition of August as Minority Organ Donor Awareness Month, we’re sharing powerful stories that highlight the lifesaving impact of organ donation within communities of color. This episode features Maxine Williams of Audubon, PA, widow of Al Williams — a U.S. Navy veteran, General Mills employee, coach, and kidney recipient. Al’s transplant in 2011 gave him 12 more years of life, during which he witnessed milestones he once thought impossible while on dialysis — including his son Nico’s high school and college graduations. Al was a passionate advocate for organ donation, sharing his gratitude publicly and inspiring others to register as a Gift of Life Ambassador. Together, Maxine and her family continue this legacy through The Al Williams Foundation, promoting preventative health, wellness, and the power of organ donation. Their story embodies the profound gift of a second chance at life — and the importance of increasing organ donor registration in minority communities.
🔗 Learn more and register as an organ donor at www.donors1.org — the Gift of Life Donor Program.
📱 Follow Gift of Life:
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, and welcome to Insight, a show about empowering
our Good morning. You're listening to Insight, a show about
empowering our community. I'm Lorraine Balladmorrow. We're marking Minority Organ
Donor Awareness Month with the story of Maxine Williams of Audubon, Pennsylvania.
Her late husband, Al Williams, a Navy veteran and coach,
(00:20):
received a kidney transplant in twenty eleven that gave him
twelve more years of life. Maxine and her family now
continue his legacy through the Al Williams Foundation, advocating for health, wellness,
and the life saving gift of organ donation. We'll tell
you more and how you can become an organ donor
through Gift of Life. First, we talk about a very
(00:42):
exciting opportunity thanks to Barbers who Care. Today, they're giving
out free haircuts, nails, and school supplies. It's going to
be amazing. We're joined by Kenny Duncan, CEO and co
founder of Barbers who Care. A celebrity barber, salon owner,
and nationally recognized educator. For sixteen years, Kenny and his
(01:03):
team have been uplifting Philadelphia you through mentorship, health and wellness.
And their annual Barbers Who Care Free haircut and back
to School Drive. This year's event takes place today, Sunday,
August twenty fourth, from ten am to three pm at
the West Philly YMCA. Along with free haircuts for kids
ages five through seventeen, families will receive book bags, school supplies,
(01:27):
and access to valuable community resources. Well, Kenny, great to
see you.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
And I'd like to dig a little bit into your
origin story. Let's go. Let's go take us back sixteen years.
What inspired you to launch the very first Barbers Who
Care event in West Philadelphia?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Honestly speaking of I was given a lot of things
through people that I didn't earn. So my perspective is
that I had to do the same. I am who
I am based off of me having access to a
lot of thought leaders through cutting hair and through those relationships,
I've been blessed with character development and access to things
(02:04):
that my upbringing just didn't give me access to. And
I believe that anybody, when you put them in a
different environment, can be molded into the best version of themselves.
And because I got access to it, I believe it.
I experienced it and motivated to do the same for others.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yeah, well, certainly barbershops are a community hub. Absolutely tell
us more about what barbershops mean to the community.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
So what I've realized most recently that a large amount
of the development of men take place inside of the barbershop.
And when we're talking about development of character, how we
overcome and solve problems, conflict resolution, when it comes to
just even character development and even our moral compass and
the ideology of who we are and how we should exist.
(02:47):
The perfect mix of three, sometimes four, different generations from
young and zeou full of zeal to older, you know,
more seasoned, more slow, but more methodical. And when you
put those individuals in the room and had the conversation
on the same topic, respecting different perspectives on the same
(03:09):
topic is what you end up leaving with versus fighting
for your own perspective to exist. That's what happens in
a barbership.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
You've often said a fresh haircut helps build self esteem.
Can you shure why that confidence boost is so important
for kids heading back to school? Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
I believe that when your self esteem is high, you
have more confidence to attack any task. It just so
happens that a student's job is to do well and
do their best in school, and having that confidence based
on how you feel can give you that fuel to
actually fight through any of the tough challenges that may
come across. Now, if my self esteem is low, if
(03:46):
I'm not feeling good about myself, I won't have enough
fuel consistently to be able to fight through the different
challenges I have, especially when we're talking about in group
settings where I may be a little bit more timid
to ask a question about something I don't know. But
if I'm confident, I'm going to ask that teacher in
front of everybody.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Absolutely, it makes such a huge difference. Now this year,
you're going to bring together celebrity barbers from across this city,
and I wonder if you can talk a little bit
about these partnerships that you've created amongst the many barbers.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
So I have to give us huge shout out to
every single barber that over the years has help of
cut over four thousand kids over the years. But I
have to say that this today is one of the
biggest events we've ever put together. We have over fifty
barbers wow from around the city, and people have come
(04:39):
from other cities. Elite barbers from other cities are partnering
with barbers who care to serve the West Phildolpha community today.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Well, you know, when you talk about barbers, especially these
really elite barbers, this is really an art form, isn't it?
In some way? Absolutely? Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Everybody has a perspective of what a haircut should look like.
And if you go to three of the top barbers
around the city and asks for the same exact thing,
it's not going to look exactly the same because of
their artistic eyes want to implement, how they adjust and
how they finish a particular haircut all amazing. And everybody
gets an opportunity to get that for free today, for free.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
That is I have to pay top dollar, but they
getting it for free.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
That's a sharp That's some sharp cuts I'm sure are
going to be happening.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Now.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
You've got a lot of great sponsors. United Healthcare, Community
College and others are supporting this year's event. So people
are jumping on. They see a good thing and tell
us why these collaborations are so important.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Well, I believe collaboration over competition makes it easier for
us to actually throw out together and do more and
be more pactful. We're strong together as a fist versus
just having a finger pointing at something. So, whether it
be University of pen sending out doctors, whether it be
CCP help and support with different resource events, United Healthcare
helping us have over four hundred book bags full of
(06:02):
age appropriate supplies is necessary. And I have a surprise.
We've been supported by good friends from the Philadelphia Eagles.
There's going to be opportunity for people to have access
to opportunities to interact with Jalx Hunt and some other friends.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Nice.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
So there'll be some Super Bowl champions in the building.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Fantastic.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
It's so exciting. I wonder if you can tell us
how parents, community members, and even other barbers can get
involved to support Barbera's who Care beyond this annual back
to school event.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Absolutely, we post a lot of our information on barbershocare
dot org. That's our website, and then barbares who Care
on Instagram. You would be able to see exactly what
up and coming events we have. Because we don't do
justice event, we do multiple events. We just finished an
event this past week with the A. J. Brown Foundation
where we served one hundred kids at Boys Latin as
one of our partner schools, and we're continuing to look
(06:55):
for more opportunities to serve the youth. And when we
have opportunities for barbers to band it together to give back,
we have a great time.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Remind us one more time about this Barbers who Care,
Free Haircut and back to School drive happening today Sunday,
August twenty fourth. What time to what time?
Speaker 2 (07:13):
At ten am? They have an opportunity with the fastest
lines that's going to move because you had fifty barbers,
that's not going to be a long wait. Fifty amazing barbers.
Speaker 5 (07:23):
All.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
You should ask some of the barbers who their clients
are and you'll find that from the Sixers to the Eagles,
to different people that come into town force different concerts.
They'll be using the same clippers they use on some
of the most inspirational people on these kids.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
And what is the address one more time?
Speaker 2 (07:43):
It's fifty one to twenty Chestnut Street and so West
phil Fa YMCA. Shout out to the West Phidelphia YMCA
for being a strong partner for us to help us
aid the community for several years.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
We appreciate you fantastic And one more time, what's the.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Website Barbershocare dot org.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Kenny Duncan, CEO and Kofi under of Barbers Who Care.
He's a celebrity barber, salon owner, nationally recognized educator and
he's been just one thing I forgot. Oh well, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Because I'll only talk about the haircuts for the boys.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Oh okay, laid on us.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
We have partnered with Beauty and Smart's Academy and there
will be free nails being done for the little girls.
So this is not just an event for the boys.
Bring we have girl book bags and we have an
academy design just to give out free nails and any
way they want at this event as well.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Oh that's fantastic. Thank you for jumping in and reminding
us that there's something for the girls as well. Again,
it is a Barbers Who Care, Free haircut and back
to School drive today, Sunday, August twenty fourth, ten am
to three pm at the West Philly y at fifty
one twenty Chestnut Street. What is that website? One more time,
Barbershocare dot org, Kenny Duncan, thank you for all you do.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Thank you for having Sunnie I appreciate you.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
And we're live here outside the Perez family home, just
waiting for the And there they go, almost on time.
This morning, Mom is coming out the front door, strong
with a double arm kid carry. Looks like Dad has
the bags. Daughter is bringing up the rear. Oh, but
the diaper bag wasn't closed. Diapers and toys are everywhere.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Ooh, but mom has just.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
Nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the toddler. And
now the eldest daughter, who looks to be about nine
or ten, has secured herself in the booster seat. Dad
zips the bag closed and they're off.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Ah.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
It looks like Mom doesn't realize her coffee cup is
still on the roof of the car and there it goes. Oh,
that's a shame. That mug was a fam favorite.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Don't sweat the small stuff, just nail the big stuff,
like making sure your kids are buckle correctly in the
right seat for their agent's eyes.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Learn more at NHTSA dot go slash the right Seat.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Visits NHDSA dot Slash the Right See.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Brought to you by NITZA and the ad Council. Teaching
is more than a profession. It's a calling, a calling
that is strengthened by community. Join your peers at the
eighth National Black Men in Education convening in Philadelphia this November.
Come see what it means to be part of a
powerful community dedicated to driving positive social change through education.
(10:27):
Learn more and register now at the Center blacked dot org.
Speaker 6 (10:33):
I'm Chris jack McK I serve in the United States
Air Force and I've deployed three times. Being a veteran,
it's interwoven into your DNA. Is really the absence of
the connection and the purpose that can really drive a
lot of veterans to some negative thoughts. For those who
are in a suicidal crisis, the window of time to
save somebody's life is very short. Our duty is to
protect ourselves and protect our families. And one way you
(10:55):
can do that is store your weapons safely. Store all
your guns securely.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Help stop brought to you by End Family Fire and
the AD Council. My name is Maxine Williams.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
My husband was a Kidnean recipient who has since passed.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
So Maxine, tell us about your beloved husband.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
Al.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Let me tell you about my husband. Al.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
Al was originally from Corpus CHRISTI Texas. He passed away
September twenty twenty three at the age of fifty seven.
He was an amazing individual whose father a coach, mentor,
and a really good friend to people. He lived his
life with a lot of purpose passion. He worked for
General Mills for twenty five years as a salesman, and
(11:47):
he spent countless hours coaching popborn and football kids wreck basketball.
He loved kids. We were only blessed with one. And
he always wanted a lot more igmatic personality and a presence.
So if he walked into a room, he kind of
commands the room, but through somewhat like a genuine connection.
(12:09):
And if you met him, talked to him, guaranteed you.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Will remember him.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
He had the way of how he spoke, the way
he dealt with people that was, you know, memorable.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Well, he sounds like he was a very special person
who made a huge impact on the lives of so
many people. And I wonder if you Maxan, you could
share with us how did this illness impact his health
and also your family prior to the transplant.
Speaker 5 (12:36):
His illness affected his health and our family prior to
the transplant immensely, I would say, to sum it up,
the unshapable strength that our family ensued. When he first
got diagnosed with kidney failure, it was like one kidney
was twelve, the other is fifteen, so they pretty much lose.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
They were done.
Speaker 5 (12:59):
He was playing semi pro football and it is off hours,
something we both didn't agree with because I thought at
that age you shouldn't be doing that, but something he
had a passionate, you know, football player.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
He loved doing that.
Speaker 5 (13:14):
And we had just moved into our new house and
we went to get life insurance and got rejected massive
nosebleed emergency room, and then we found out that's the
result of his kidney.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
So my son was in first grade.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
So we spent so many years in and out of
hospitals because Al was pretty muscular and he had a
lot of issues with the muscle aches that he would
have after dialysis. So during his illness when he was
on dialysis, I don't even know what word to use,
(13:51):
but it affected our family. He had a small kid
that we had to make sure his life was normal,
so that was pretty tough for us. He kept working,
he worked at General Mills during that time. We took
vacations during that time because we wanted to make sure
that Niko, our son, life was normal, that it didn't
impact him because we're going through a lot as a family,
(14:11):
so we try to make sure we had dialysis in
different states that we will.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Go to Florida.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
We go to California, so we set up dialysis there
and we had issues. I'll tell a little quick story
of something that will give you a full picture of
how our life was.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
We were going on a vacation.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
Our flight got canceled doing it because of there as
a hurricane on our way home. All got severely sick
and we ended up in the ICU at a hospital.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
So we had that. Then our flight he got out,
we had another flight. We jump on.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
The flight went to Florida because we had a time
share there. While in Florida, he had to do dialysis
and during that there's one time we had to pull
over so he could throw up, had bottle of water
runs his mouth out. We went to like some kind
of an amusement park after so that persevered and the
whole family buying into that experience and not letting his
(15:04):
kidney disease define our lives. So that's pretty much someone
how it affected or our whole lives.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Yeah, Maxine, it sounds like you did your very best
to provide a stable situation for your child and did
the best you could and did amazing. I mean the
fact that you were able to travel and do the
things that a regular family would do despite the fact
that there were so many obstacles. So that brings us
to this question, Maxine, what was the impact of Al's
(15:31):
transplant on your health and also your family?
Speaker 3 (15:35):
The word is I just got chibbles.
Speaker 5 (15:37):
The kidney transplant affected our family and our priceless.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Is the right word to use.
Speaker 5 (15:46):
We made a priority by the way we define our
life that we weren't going to let kidney disease define
our family experience and the love that we had for
each other. The three of us, we used to say
reference ourselves as we're a triangle because it was three
of us and we just try to balance each other
out while not putting too much pressure on our son.
(16:09):
Kidney transplant affected us in a way that Al got
his fisila straightened out so he.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Didn't have all the lumps on his arms.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
He was able to see Nico graduate high school, graduate college,
got his master's because that was a fear of al
that he was.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Not going to see that.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
Twenty eleven was a super traumatic year for him. He
spent three different times in the hospital with a total
of twenty one days because he had fluid built up
around his heart and lungs and he had a pacardiof fusion,
also had the lungs framed, and he was super sick
that summer, and because he had had cancer on the
(16:52):
kidneys that did not work, he had like a five
year time frame that he could not get a transplant.
So the moment that five year hit, he got the
call twenty eleven in October.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
So our life was, oh my god, amazing.
Speaker 5 (17:08):
Afterwards, we did four vacations a year. We travel with
Nico when he was playing football because he played football
in college.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
We went to Montreal, Canada to watching Ko play football.
Speaker 5 (17:18):
So its life was great and it was like a
day of victory for us when he got that transfer.
And that's why we're so passionate about, you know, the
Gift of Life foundation.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
You know, what you just shared was some of the
things that your husband was able to experience, your son
graduating from high school, from college, getting his master's degree,
getting to see him play football, I wonder if you
can also share with us, what are some of the
other things that he was able to accomplish in that
extra twelve years of life and what does his donor
(17:51):
and their family mean to you and your son.
Speaker 5 (17:54):
In those twelve years of life. Al was able to
live life to the fullest.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
One of the.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Things I can say after his passing, there was nothing
we said we could have would have done. We went
to the places we want to financially affordable.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
He got to do amazing thing.
Speaker 5 (18:20):
There's an experience we had because I'm from Jamaica and
Al could not have visited because of being sick for
twenty two years. We couldn't We would never do a
dialysis in Jamaica, so during that time we didn't visit
as much. There's a time in twenty twenty two.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
That I did.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
We were in Jamaica and we did like a timeline.
We went everywhere I went through my childhood and he
got to experience that I felt like for he and
I that took our relationship connection to a different level
because he walked my path that he had full circle
with my entire life. So he was able to be
(19:00):
in that experience and my donor family and their family
mean to all and I and my son. We did
the communication after the transfert because Al had a mixed
emotions about getting the kidney from somebody who had passed.
Barb had an aneurysm, and there was some issues with
(19:21):
their family agreeing to donate the organs and her husband
which they were married for about five years, and that's
her wish. She wanted to do that and insisted. So
when we finally after exchanging the redacted letters, we finally met,
talk about emotion. Seeing the family that opposed the donation
(19:43):
and how they were able to buy into that process
and developed a relationship with Al was amazing. Bill and
Al became friends. They hunted together Al. It was another
thing for Texan to be in the cold looking, you know,
trying to get deer, but they hunted together, they had
a relationship. So that was an amazing, amazing, amazing way
(20:07):
to go when it comes to creating that relationship.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
I'm assuming that that was the organ donor's husband that
you're referring to.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
Yes, okay, his name is real.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
I'm sorry, No, No, that's okay, okay. I understand that
Al was a strong advocate for organ donation and that
you and your son Nico carry on his legacy through
the Al Williams Foundation and you promote organ donor registration
and preventative health. Share with us some more about that.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
The gift of life chained our life immensely, and we've
been a proud supporter of the walk since Al had
the first transplant from his brother. At that point, we
used to walk under Lancana with Mainline help, and ironically
the last time we did that was twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Three, the April before our past.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
That was the last Mainline Health because during that time,
Like and I discontinue their transplant program.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
So this is something we are very passionate about.
Speaker 5 (21:08):
I always went Facebook Live during the walk to promote
the walk and all we had a thing where, if
you know, we always engage in all the activities and
then we'll go out.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
And brunch into the city. So when out passed, we
felt like in.
Speaker 5 (21:23):
Order to keep this going, the momentum going is to
create this foundation. The first year, which was it was
very emotional for us, so we started it. We had
friends who bought into it, We raised some money. This
past year, it seemed like it took traction in a
way that both Nika and I were a little bit like,
(21:44):
oh my god, like a little overwhelmed because we did
not expect the buy in with our friends or family.
We threw a zombathon, which was like a hair brain
skin I had while at the gym, and it was
amazing to find out people who are touched by you know,
kidney health, kidney disease, also transplant. Maybe not kidney, but
(22:10):
so many people bought into that. People already giving me
things that they want to use for the next symbath
and I'm like, I didn't sign up front of the one,
but people are like, oh, for next year, keep this,
you know, keep the T shirt, keep this for the
next year. So this is something that has gained traction. Currently,
we're preparing to host our first health initiative through our church.
(22:33):
We're partnering up with Renmar Hospital, and we're trying to
educate people about how.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
To take care of their kidneys, how to be a good.
Speaker 5 (22:43):
Transplant recipient, to make sure they keep their kidney you know, safe,
how to.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Do well on dialysis. I mean, our hated dialysis, but
he was one.
Speaker 5 (22:54):
Of those textbook patients did what he was supposed to do,
and we have. I always say it takes a village.
So our family alone created this bubble so that we
could help other people relating to this issue.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Well, it sounds like you're carrying the memory of your
husband Al on through this foundation. And please let me
know when your next zoomathon is and I will bring
my two left feet there and dance.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
It is fun, except like somebody liked me after the
next two weeks, my hip is little door, but it's fun.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Yes, I will be dancing like no one is watching.
So how can we increase organ donation registration, especially in
black and brown communities?
Speaker 5 (23:40):
How can we increase organ donation registration in black and
brown communities?
Speaker 3 (23:46):
This is very passionate to her family.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
Because when Al used to go to dialysis at one point,
his first dialysis was in a predominantly African American community
in the city, and he was blown away with the
way the patients were, the way they were sitting on
the chair, the stuff they ate. He was like mind blown.
(24:11):
So for that, I think knowing that the education is
not there, mind you, they're pamphlets in the facility, but
nobody sits there and say, by the way you come
in with whatever you're eating. Nobody checks you on those.
So one of the things we thought this foundation could do.
We could educate tell stories just by highlighting personal stories,
(24:36):
maybe in person or sharing our stories communities. We could
have messengers like faith leaders, barbers community. Maybe we'll stop
at a barbershop, because God knows, I've been to a
barbershop with al and when he had hair, and it's
like there was so many the way they're talking, they're
they're like the quintessential people to pass on these message.
(25:00):
Partnering with churches and fake communities, holding health Sundays or
wellness events, to collaborate with local hospitals maybe just to
get the message out, and also using social media to
shift the narrative. And maybe as like another benchmark is
to involve local schools or maybe colleges just to help
(25:24):
with that spreading the word.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
And finally, if people would like more information about how
they can be a potential organ donor, where do they
go and also share with us a final message that
you would like to send out to those who are
listening who are reluctant to sign up as an organ donor.
Speaker 5 (25:40):
It's important to register for organ donation there's the Al
Williams Foundation on Facebook. We have links there to the
Gift of Life Foundation where you can register. I just
wanted to talk about how important this is. You could
save up to eight lives just one donor. It also
(26:02):
can enhance about seventy five plus lives because you donate
your corner, your skin. There's so much over one hundred
thousand people in the years of waiting for life saving transplant,
and more than half of that is brown people, Black,
Latino Asian.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
In short, the bottom line is, you don't need.
Speaker 5 (26:23):
Your organs when you're gone, but somebody else may need
them to live a full life.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
And also, becoming a donor is a way of you
living on.
Speaker 5 (26:34):
I know for Al's donor, her husband felt like he
had a part of her living through Al. And I
know when Al passed to him, he felt like she
was dying all over again because to him, the connection
with Al, knowing that Al had a piece of somebody
he loved so much kept her alive. So those are
the important messages I have for why you would become
(26:57):
an orgando. To get more information on how to register
to become an organ donor, you can go to the
Al Williams Foundation on Facebook or you can go to
donorwe dot org.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
All right, I want to thank you so much for
joining us today, and that is Maxine Williams. She is
the wife of the late Great Al Williams kidney recipient
who passed away but had twelve extraordinary additional years of
life in which he was able to see his son
graduate from high school, college and get his master's degree,
(27:32):
and do so many things, to share so many more
things and experiences just because someone made that decision to
allow themselves to be an organ donor. I want to
thank you so much for sharing everything about your husband Al.
You made him live for me. I got a wonderful
sense of how much he meant to you and to
your community, and I thank you for sharing all of
(27:52):
that with us today.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
You're quite welcome. Appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
You can listen to all of today's interviews by going
to our state website and typing in keyword community. You
can also listen on the iHeartRadio app Y Words Philadelphia
Community podcast. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at Lorraine Ballard.
I'm Lorraine Ballard MOREL and I stand for service to
our community and media that empowers what will you stand
for You've been listening to insight and thank you
Good morning, and welcome to Insight, a show about empowering
our Good morning. You're listening to Insight, a show about
empowering our community. I'm Lorraine Balladmorrow. We're marking Minority Organ
Donor Awareness Month with the story of Maxine Williams of Audubon, Pennsylvania.
Her late husband, Al Williams, a Navy veteran and coach,
(00:20):
received a kidney transplant in twenty eleven that gave him
twelve more years of life. Maxine and her family now
continue his legacy through the Al Williams Foundation, advocating for health, wellness,
and the life saving gift of organ donation. We'll tell
you more and how you can become an organ donor
through Gift of Life. First, we talk about a very
(00:42):
exciting opportunity thanks to Barbers who Care. Today, they're giving
out free haircuts, nails, and school supplies. It's going to
be amazing. We're joined by Kenny Duncan, CEO and co
founder of Barbers who Care. A celebrity barber, salon owner,
and nationally recognized educator. For sixteen years, Kenny and his
(01:03):
team have been uplifting Philadelphia you through mentorship, health and wellness.
And their annual Barbers Who Care Free haircut and back
to School Drive. This year's event takes place today, Sunday,
August twenty fourth, from ten am to three pm at
the West Philly YMCA. Along with free haircuts for kids
ages five through seventeen, families will receive book bags, school supplies,
(01:27):
and access to valuable community resources. Well, Kenny, great to
see you.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
And I'd like to dig a little bit into your
origin story. Let's go. Let's go take us back sixteen years.
What inspired you to launch the very first Barbers Who
Care event in West Philadelphia?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Honestly speaking of I was given a lot of things
through people that I didn't earn. So my perspective is
that I had to do the same. I am who
I am based off of me having access to a
lot of thought leaders through cutting hair and through those relationships,
I've been blessed with character development and access to things
(02:04):
that my upbringing just didn't give me access to. And
I believe that anybody, when you put them in a
different environment, can be molded into the best version of themselves.
And because I got access to it, I believe it.
I experienced it and motivated to do the same for others.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yeah, well, certainly barbershops are a community hub. Absolutely tell
us more about what barbershops mean to the community.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
So what I've realized most recently that a large amount
of the development of men take place inside of the barbershop.
And when we're talking about development of character, how we
overcome and solve problems, conflict resolution, when it comes to
just even character development and even our moral compass and
the ideology of who we are and how we should exist.
(02:47):
The perfect mix of three, sometimes four, different generations from
young and zeou full of zeal to older, you know,
more seasoned, more slow, but more methodical. And when you
put those individuals in the room and had the conversation
on the same topic, respecting different perspectives on the same
(03:09):
topic is what you end up leaving with versus fighting
for your own perspective to exist. That's what happens in
a barbership.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
You've often said a fresh haircut helps build self esteem.
Can you shure why that confidence boost is so important
for kids heading back to school? Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
I believe that when your self esteem is high, you
have more confidence to attack any task. It just so
happens that a student's job is to do well and
do their best in school, and having that confidence based
on how you feel can give you that fuel to
actually fight through any of the tough challenges that may
come across. Now, if my self esteem is low, if
(03:46):
I'm not feeling good about myself, I won't have enough
fuel consistently to be able to fight through the different
challenges I have, especially when we're talking about in group
settings where I may be a little bit more timid
to ask a question about something I don't know. But
if I'm confident, I'm going to ask that teacher in
front of everybody.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Absolutely, it makes such a huge difference. Now this year,
you're going to bring together celebrity barbers from across this city,
and I wonder if you can talk a little bit
about these partnerships that you've created amongst the many barbers.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
So I have to give us huge shout out to
every single barber that over the years has help of
cut over four thousand kids over the years. But I
have to say that this today is one of the
biggest events we've ever put together. We have over fifty
barbers wow from around the city, and people have come
(04:39):
from other cities. Elite barbers from other cities are partnering
with barbers who care to serve the West Phildolpha community today.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Well, you know, when you talk about barbers, especially these
really elite barbers, this is really an art form, isn't it?
In some way? Absolutely? Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Everybody has a perspective of what a haircut should look like.
And if you go to three of the top barbers
around the city and asks for the same exact thing,
it's not going to look exactly the same because of
their artistic eyes want to implement, how they adjust and
how they finish a particular haircut all amazing. And everybody
gets an opportunity to get that for free today, for free.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
That is I have to pay top dollar, but they
getting it for free.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
That's a sharp That's some sharp cuts I'm sure are
going to be happening.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Now.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
You've got a lot of great sponsors. United Healthcare, Community
College and others are supporting this year's event. So people
are jumping on. They see a good thing and tell
us why these collaborations are so important.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Well, I believe collaboration over competition makes it easier for
us to actually throw out together and do more and
be more pactful. We're strong together as a fist versus
just having a finger pointing at something. So, whether it
be University of pen sending out doctors, whether it be
CCP help and support with different resource events, United Healthcare
helping us have over four hundred book bags full of
(06:02):
age appropriate supplies is necessary. And I have a surprise.
We've been supported by good friends from the Philadelphia Eagles.
There's going to be opportunity for people to have access
to opportunities to interact with Jalx Hunt and some other friends.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Nice.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
So there'll be some Super Bowl champions in the building.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Fantastic.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
It's so exciting. I wonder if you can tell us
how parents, community members, and even other barbers can get
involved to support Barbera's who Care beyond this annual back
to school event.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Absolutely, we post a lot of our information on barbershocare
dot org. That's our website, and then barbares who Care
on Instagram. You would be able to see exactly what
up and coming events we have. Because we don't do
justice event, we do multiple events. We just finished an
event this past week with the A. J. Brown Foundation
where we served one hundred kids at Boys Latin as
one of our partner schools, and we're continuing to look
(06:55):
for more opportunities to serve the youth. And when we
have opportunities for barbers to band it together to give back,
we have a great time.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Remind us one more time about this Barbers who Care,
Free Haircut and back to School drive happening today Sunday,
August twenty fourth. What time to what time?
Speaker 2 (07:13):
At ten am? They have an opportunity with the fastest
lines that's going to move because you had fifty barbers,
that's not going to be a long wait. Fifty amazing barbers.
Speaker 5 (07:23):
All.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
You should ask some of the barbers who their clients
are and you'll find that from the Sixers to the Eagles,
to different people that come into town force different concerts.
They'll be using the same clippers they use on some
of the most inspirational people on these kids.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
And what is the address one more time?
Speaker 2 (07:43):
It's fifty one to twenty Chestnut Street and so West
phil Fa YMCA. Shout out to the West Phidelphia YMCA
for being a strong partner for us to help us
aid the community for several years.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
We appreciate you fantastic And one more time, what's the.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Website Barbershocare dot org.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Kenny Duncan, CEO and Kofi under of Barbers Who Care.
He's a celebrity barber, salon owner, nationally recognized educator and
he's been just one thing I forgot. Oh well, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Because I'll only talk about the haircuts for the boys.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Oh okay, laid on us.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
We have partnered with Beauty and Smart's Academy and there
will be free nails being done for the little girls.
So this is not just an event for the boys.
Bring we have girl book bags and we have an
academy design just to give out free nails and any
way they want at this event as well.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Oh that's fantastic. Thank you for jumping in and reminding
us that there's something for the girls as well. Again,
it is a Barbers Who Care, Free haircut and back
to School drive today, Sunday, August twenty fourth, ten am
to three pm at the West Philly y at fifty
one twenty Chestnut Street. What is that website? One more time,
Barbershocare dot org, Kenny Duncan, thank you for all you do.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Thank you for having Sunnie I appreciate you.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
And we're live here outside the Perez family home, just
waiting for the And there they go, almost on time.
This morning, Mom is coming out the front door, strong
with a double arm kid carry. Looks like Dad has
the bags. Daughter is bringing up the rear. Oh, but
the diaper bag wasn't closed. Diapers and toys are everywhere.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Ooh, but mom has just.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
Nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the toddler. And
now the eldest daughter, who looks to be about nine
or ten, has secured herself in the booster seat. Dad
zips the bag closed and they're off.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Ah.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
It looks like Mom doesn't realize her coffee cup is
still on the roof of the car and there it goes. Oh,
that's a shame. That mug was a fam favorite.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Don't sweat the small stuff, just nail the big stuff,
like making sure your kids are buckle correctly in the
right seat for their agent's eyes.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Learn more at NHTSA dot go slash the right Seat.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Visits NHDSA dot Slash the Right See.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Brought to you by NITZA and the ad Council. Teaching
is more than a profession. It's a calling, a calling
that is strengthened by community. Join your peers at the
eighth National Black Men in Education convening in Philadelphia this November.
Come see what it means to be part of a
powerful community dedicated to driving positive social change through education.
(10:27):
Learn more and register now at the Center blacked dot org.
Speaker 6 (10:33):
I'm Chris jack McK I serve in the United States
Air Force and I've deployed three times. Being a veteran,
it's interwoven into your DNA. Is really the absence of
the connection and the purpose that can really drive a
lot of veterans to some negative thoughts. For those who
are in a suicidal crisis, the window of time to
save somebody's life is very short. Our duty is to
protect ourselves and protect our families. And one way you
(10:55):
can do that is store your weapons safely. Store all
your guns securely.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Help stop brought to you by End Family Fire and
the AD Council. My name is Maxine Williams.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
My husband was a Kidnean recipient who has since passed.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
So Maxine, tell us about your beloved husband.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
Al.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Let me tell you about my husband. Al.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
Al was originally from Corpus CHRISTI Texas. He passed away
September twenty twenty three at the age of fifty seven.
He was an amazing individual whose father a coach, mentor,
and a really good friend to people. He lived his
life with a lot of purpose passion. He worked for
General Mills for twenty five years as a salesman, and
(11:47):
he spent countless hours coaching popborn and football kids wreck basketball.
He loved kids. We were only blessed with one. And
he always wanted a lot more igmatic personality and a presence.
So if he walked into a room, he kind of
commands the room, but through somewhat like a genuine connection.
(12:09):
And if you met him, talked to him, guaranteed you.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Will remember him.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
He had the way of how he spoke, the way
he dealt with people that was, you know, memorable.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Well, he sounds like he was a very special person
who made a huge impact on the lives of so
many people. And I wonder if you Maxan, you could
share with us how did this illness impact his health
and also your family prior to the transplant.
Speaker 5 (12:36):
His illness affected his health and our family prior to
the transplant immensely, I would say, to sum it up,
the unshapable strength that our family ensued. When he first
got diagnosed with kidney failure, it was like one kidney
was twelve, the other is fifteen, so they pretty much lose.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
They were done.
Speaker 5 (12:59):
He was playing semi pro football and it is off hours,
something we both didn't agree with because I thought at
that age you shouldn't be doing that, but something he
had a passionate, you know, football player.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
He loved doing that.
Speaker 5 (13:14):
And we had just moved into our new house and
we went to get life insurance and got rejected massive
nosebleed emergency room, and then we found out that's the
result of his kidney.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
So my son was in first grade.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
So we spent so many years in and out of
hospitals because Al was pretty muscular and he had a
lot of issues with the muscle aches that he would
have after dialysis. So during his illness when he was
on dialysis, I don't even know what word to use,
(13:51):
but it affected our family. He had a small kid
that we had to make sure his life was normal,
so that was pretty tough for us. He kept working,
he worked at General Mills during that time. We took
vacations during that time because we wanted to make sure
that Niko, our son, life was normal, that it didn't
impact him because we're going through a lot as a family,
(14:11):
so we try to make sure we had dialysis in
different states that we will.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Go to Florida.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
We go to California, so we set up dialysis there
and we had issues. I'll tell a little quick story
of something that will give you a full picture of
how our life was.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
We were going on a vacation.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
Our flight got canceled doing it because of there as
a hurricane on our way home. All got severely sick
and we ended up in the ICU at a hospital.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
So we had that. Then our flight he got out,
we had another flight. We jump on.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
The flight went to Florida because we had a time
share there. While in Florida, he had to do dialysis
and during that there's one time we had to pull
over so he could throw up, had bottle of water
runs his mouth out. We went to like some kind
of an amusement park after so that persevered and the
whole family buying into that experience and not letting his
(15:04):
kidney disease define our lives. So that's pretty much someone
how it affected or our whole lives.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Yeah, Maxine, it sounds like you did your very best
to provide a stable situation for your child and did
the best you could and did amazing. I mean the
fact that you were able to travel and do the
things that a regular family would do despite the fact
that there were so many obstacles. So that brings us
to this question, Maxine, what was the impact of Al's
(15:31):
transplant on your health and also your family?
Speaker 3 (15:35):
The word is I just got chibbles.
Speaker 5 (15:37):
The kidney transplant affected our family and our priceless.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Is the right word to use.
Speaker 5 (15:46):
We made a priority by the way we define our
life that we weren't going to let kidney disease define
our family experience and the love that we had for
each other. The three of us, we used to say
reference ourselves as we're a triangle because it was three
of us and we just try to balance each other
out while not putting too much pressure on our son.
(16:09):
Kidney transplant affected us in a way that Al got
his fisila straightened out so he.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Didn't have all the lumps on his arms.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
He was able to see Nico graduate high school, graduate college,
got his master's because that was a fear of al
that he was.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Not going to see that.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
Twenty eleven was a super traumatic year for him. He
spent three different times in the hospital with a total
of twenty one days because he had fluid built up
around his heart and lungs and he had a pacardiof fusion,
also had the lungs framed, and he was super sick
that summer, and because he had had cancer on the
(16:52):
kidneys that did not work, he had like a five
year time frame that he could not get a transplant.
So the moment that five year hit, he got the
call twenty eleven in October.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
So our life was, oh my god, amazing.
Speaker 5 (17:08):
Afterwards, we did four vacations a year. We travel with
Nico when he was playing football because he played football
in college.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
We went to Montreal, Canada to watching Ko play football.
Speaker 5 (17:18):
So its life was great and it was like a
day of victory for us when he got that transfer.
And that's why we're so passionate about, you know, the
Gift of Life foundation.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
You know, what you just shared was some of the
things that your husband was able to experience, your son
graduating from high school, from college, getting his master's degree,
getting to see him play football, I wonder if you
can also share with us, what are some of the
other things that he was able to accomplish in that
extra twelve years of life and what does his donor
(17:51):
and their family mean to you and your son.
Speaker 5 (17:54):
In those twelve years of life. Al was able to
live life to the fullest.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
One of the.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Things I can say after his passing, there was nothing
we said we could have would have done. We went
to the places we want to financially affordable.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
He got to do amazing thing.
Speaker 5 (18:20):
There's an experience we had because I'm from Jamaica and
Al could not have visited because of being sick for
twenty two years. We couldn't We would never do a
dialysis in Jamaica, so during that time we didn't visit
as much. There's a time in twenty twenty two.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
That I did.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
We were in Jamaica and we did like a timeline.
We went everywhere I went through my childhood and he
got to experience that I felt like for he and
I that took our relationship connection to a different level
because he walked my path that he had full circle
with my entire life. So he was able to be
(19:00):
in that experience and my donor family and their family
mean to all and I and my son. We did
the communication after the transfert because Al had a mixed
emotions about getting the kidney from somebody who had passed.
Barb had an aneurysm, and there was some issues with
(19:21):
their family agreeing to donate the organs and her husband
which they were married for about five years, and that's
her wish. She wanted to do that and insisted. So
when we finally after exchanging the redacted letters, we finally met,
talk about emotion. Seeing the family that opposed the donation
(19:43):
and how they were able to buy into that process
and developed a relationship with Al was amazing. Bill and
Al became friends. They hunted together Al. It was another
thing for Texan to be in the cold looking, you know,
trying to get deer, but they hunted together, they had
a relationship. So that was an amazing, amazing, amazing way
(20:07):
to go when it comes to creating that relationship.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
I'm assuming that that was the organ donor's husband that
you're referring to.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
Yes, okay, his name is real.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
I'm sorry, No, No, that's okay, okay. I understand that
Al was a strong advocate for organ donation and that
you and your son Nico carry on his legacy through
the Al Williams Foundation and you promote organ donor registration
and preventative health. Share with us some more about that.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
The gift of life chained our life immensely, and we've
been a proud supporter of the walk since Al had
the first transplant from his brother. At that point, we
used to walk under Lancana with Mainline help, and ironically
the last time we did that was twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Three, the April before our past.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
That was the last Mainline Health because during that time,
Like and I discontinue their transplant program.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
So this is something we are very passionate about.
Speaker 5 (21:08):
I always went Facebook Live during the walk to promote
the walk and all we had a thing where, if
you know, we always engage in all the activities and
then we'll go out.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
And brunch into the city. So when out passed, we
felt like in.
Speaker 5 (21:23):
Order to keep this going, the momentum going is to
create this foundation. The first year, which was it was
very emotional for us, so we started it. We had
friends who bought into it, We raised some money. This
past year, it seemed like it took traction in a
way that both Nika and I were a little bit like,
(21:44):
oh my god, like a little overwhelmed because we did
not expect the buy in with our friends or family.
We threw a zombathon, which was like a hair brain
skin I had while at the gym, and it was
amazing to find out people who are touched by you know,
kidney health, kidney disease, also transplant. Maybe not kidney, but
(22:10):
so many people bought into that. People already giving me
things that they want to use for the next symbath
and I'm like, I didn't sign up front of the one,
but people are like, oh, for next year, keep this,
you know, keep the T shirt, keep this for the
next year. So this is something that has gained traction. Currently,
we're preparing to host our first health initiative through our church.
(22:33):
We're partnering up with Renmar Hospital, and we're trying to
educate people about how.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
To take care of their kidneys, how to be a good.
Speaker 5 (22:43):
Transplant recipient, to make sure they keep their kidney you know, safe,
how to.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Do well on dialysis. I mean, our hated dialysis, but
he was one.
Speaker 5 (22:54):
Of those textbook patients did what he was supposed to do,
and we have. I always say it takes a village.
So our family alone created this bubble so that we
could help other people relating to this issue.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Well, it sounds like you're carrying the memory of your
husband Al on through this foundation. And please let me
know when your next zoomathon is and I will bring
my two left feet there and dance.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
It is fun, except like somebody liked me after the
next two weeks, my hip is little door, but it's fun.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Yes, I will be dancing like no one is watching.
So how can we increase organ donation registration, especially in
black and brown communities?
Speaker 5 (23:40):
How can we increase organ donation registration in black and
brown communities?
Speaker 3 (23:46):
This is very passionate to her family.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
Because when Al used to go to dialysis at one point,
his first dialysis was in a predominantly African American community
in the city, and he was blown away with the
way the patients were, the way they were sitting on
the chair, the stuff they ate. He was like mind blown.
(24:11):
So for that, I think knowing that the education is
not there, mind you, they're pamphlets in the facility, but
nobody sits there and say, by the way you come
in with whatever you're eating. Nobody checks you on those.
So one of the things we thought this foundation could do.
We could educate tell stories just by highlighting personal stories,
(24:36):
maybe in person or sharing our stories communities. We could
have messengers like faith leaders, barbers community. Maybe we'll stop
at a barbershop, because God knows, I've been to a
barbershop with al and when he had hair, and it's
like there was so many the way they're talking, they're
they're like the quintessential people to pass on these message.
(25:00):
Partnering with churches and fake communities, holding health Sundays or
wellness events, to collaborate with local hospitals maybe just to
get the message out, and also using social media to
shift the narrative. And maybe as like another benchmark is
to involve local schools or maybe colleges just to help
(25:24):
with that spreading the word.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
And finally, if people would like more information about how
they can be a potential organ donor, where do they
go and also share with us a final message that
you would like to send out to those who are
listening who are reluctant to sign up as an organ donor.
Speaker 5 (25:40):
It's important to register for organ donation there's the Al
Williams Foundation on Facebook. We have links there to the
Gift of Life Foundation where you can register. I just
wanted to talk about how important this is. You could
save up to eight lives just one donor. It also
(26:02):
can enhance about seventy five plus lives because you donate
your corner, your skin. There's so much over one hundred
thousand people in the years of waiting for life saving transplant,
and more than half of that is brown people, Black,
Latino Asian.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
In short, the bottom line is, you don't need.
Speaker 5 (26:23):
Your organs when you're gone, but somebody else may need
them to live a full life.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
And also, becoming a donor is a way of you
living on.
Speaker 5 (26:34):
I know for Al's donor, her husband felt like he
had a part of her living through Al. And I
know when Al passed to him, he felt like she
was dying all over again because to him, the connection
with Al, knowing that Al had a piece of somebody
he loved so much kept her alive. So those are
the important messages I have for why you would become
(26:57):
an orgando. To get more information on how to register
to become an organ donor, you can go to the
Al Williams Foundation on Facebook or you can go to
donorwe dot org.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
All right, I want to thank you so much for
joining us today, and that is Maxine Williams. She is
the wife of the late Great Al Williams kidney recipient
who passed away but had twelve extraordinary additional years of
life in which he was able to see his son
graduate from high school, college and get his master's degree,
(27:32):
and do so many things, to share so many more
things and experiences just because someone made that decision to
allow themselves to be an organ donor. I want to
thank you so much for sharing everything about your husband Al.
You made him live for me. I got a wonderful
sense of how much he meant to you and to
your community, and I thank you for sharing all of
(27:52):
that with us today.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
You're quite welcome. Appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
You can listen to all of today's interviews by going
to our state website and typing in keyword community. You
can also listen on the iHeartRadio app Y Words Philadelphia
Community podcast. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at Lorraine Ballard.
I'm Lorraine Ballard MOREL and I stand for service to
our community and media that empowers what will you stand
for You've been listening to insight and thank you
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