Philanthropic UPS driver delivers free air conditioners to seniors in area – Lincoln Parish Journal

By Hanna Singh

Seniors and other vulnerable individuals in Lincoln Parish received brand new air conditioning systems to “beat the heat” this summer, thanks to a compassionate UPS delivery person and his team.

Former Harlem Globetrotter James “Big Brown” Joseph created this philanthropic initiative, which provided air conditioners and fans to people in need, to provide relief from the Louisiana heat.

Joseph, a UPS worker from Baton Rouge who played college basketball at Abilene Christian, has been delivering air conditioners to people in Louisiana for 15 years. Through his philanthropic program, “Big Brown Reaching Out,” his team has raised money and installed more than 24,000 air conditioners as part of an initiative called “Beat the Heat.”

It all started in 2009 when Joseph was delivering packages for UPS and saw an elderly woman living in a house with no air conditioning. He saw elderly people sleeping on the floor at night because she said it was cooler closer to the ground.

“Our older families are the ones that are being hit the hardest by the heat,” Joseph said. “Most of these people have come to the U.S. and worked hard, and now they’re living on a fixed income. We’re providing these air conditioners because why can’t we do for them what they’ve done for us?”

Seventeen UPS locations across the state have donated their money and time to support Joseph’s cause. This summer, his campaign focused on Lincoln Parish and surrounding areas, including Ruston, Grambling and Jonesboro.

About two weeks ago they installed about 40 air conditioners in this area and they will be back on Saturday to tackle a few more areas including Quitman and Shady Grove.

Joseph credits his inspiration to help others to his mother, Lily Joseph, and his uncle, Jesse Joseph. They were well-known in the Eden Park community in Baton Rouge for their generosity, and Joseph wanted to continue their legacy of giving back.

“To take care of those who need it, that’s why we started this organization in the first place,” Joseph said. “Our goal is to keep our elderly and those who need us out of the heat.”

In 2017, Joseph received the Jim Casey Community Service Award, the highest honor a UPS employee can receive.