August 11, 2025
The woman had been surviving without power for a week until the brotherhood stepped in.
Members of a Memphis chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. have helped a local woman stay in her home.
Edna Jackson had run out of options when the Memphis Light, Gas, and Water company shut off the power in her home. Jackson was trying to raise the money to keep her utilities on before cooler temperatures allowed the company to cut them off over unpaid bills.
Jackson even contacted the local news source WREG about her quest to remain safely in her home. However, efforts on both ends failed to yield results. For a week, Jackson navigated a tricky situation in a house that felt unlivable without power.
“I have just been going through it because they have done turned my lights off, the water ain’t on,” said Jackson.
While Jackson could have relocated to a shelter, she would have had to give up her only companion, her dog. She did not want to lose the only thing she had, opting to struggle in her home until she found another way.
Her story caught the ears of Parrish Oglesby, a member of the Memphis alumnae chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi. He gathered his brothers to raise money for the elderly woman, helping her secure the necessary amount and get her power back on within minutes.
While praised for the communal support, Oglesby says it’s a part of their fraternity’s mission. The chapter has been a chartered organization in the Memphis area since 1934. According to their website, their efforts extend not only to small acts of kindness. They also foster mentorship and tutoring of the city’s youth, as well as additional gifting events around the holidays.
“This is not something that’s new to us,” said Oglesby. “This is what we do… We are here to serve the public, in the public’s interest.”
However, another person also inspired this moment of good neighborliness. Oglesby thought about his own mother and how he would want someone to help her in the same way.
“If it were my mom, I would want somebody to step in for her,” said Oglesby.
Other neighbors have helped out Jackson in non-monetary ways as she fought to get by. She says this reliance on community has shown her that family can come from anywhere.
“You may not have the blood family to help, but you do have a family,” said Jackson. “I just want you to know that first and foremost… I am happy and I say, ‘Thank God.’”
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