Teen receives funds for college for efforts to help homeless
Francine Green says her son, Julian Turner, 18, had to act when he saw the painful reality of homelessness in Memphis firsthand.
"He has a love and concern for people and their well being," said Green. "When he sees homeless people on the street, he wants to know how they got there. It's just part of his nature."
Turner was 16 and a rising junior at Germantown High School when he spent his summer vacation collecting 500 pieces of clothing for homeless men at the Memphis Union Mission.
"I was looking around to see which organizations needed that type of material," said Turner. "I found out that 55 percent of (the mission's) clothes come from people like me. It was a real moment for me because I knew that they needed my help."
His donation came in the form of money and clothing, particularly undergarments, which the homeless need.
Turner said it was his mother who inspired him to help others, though she said her son was always active in various community service projects through his youth group at his church, New Tyler AME Church.
Turner's efforts earned him a $1,000 Kohl's Kids Who Care Scholarship in July, which helped when his mother dropped him off Aug. 19 at Tennessee State University in Nashville, where he plans to earn a bachelor's degree and a master's in computer science.
