By: Isaiah S. Showell, Follow South Jersey Multimedia Journalist/’What’s Good’ Host
BRIDGETON, NJ — Taviaus Wilson is 27 years old and some would say he’s still young but he’s seen and experienced things some experience when they’re much older, for example, losing a sibling to gun violence. A death in his family was traumatic, but his family decided to take the trauma and turn it into a source of love and bless their community.
Wilson is a part of a non-profit called Hope for Hank where he and his family say they are being the hands and feet of God and taking care of the orphans and widows.
“Until you are pleasing God in what he called you to do, you’ll never be successful,” said Wilson.
Wilson says it’s the mentoring from his Godmother, Aunt, and Spiritual Mother that has showed him the ways of God and encouraged him to live in a way that was new to him, leaving behind principles like an eye for an eye and replacing it with vengeance is mine saith the Lord is what he was learning. Henry Jones is the sibling that Wilson and his family lost in December of 2019, and the temptation to retaliate was there but the opportunity to show the love of God to the individuals who hurt his family was there as well, and that’s what they chose to do.
Hope for Hank is the non-profit Wilson and his family established and they named it after his sibling using his nickname and the core values are honor, loyalty, humbleness, and faith. Faith is emphasised because the family believes a person cannot do anything the right way without faith in God.
On the fourth Saturday of each month, Wilson and his family open their food pantry and serve the people in their community at Los Molcajetes located at 155 Irving Avenue in Bridgeton, continuing being the hands and feet of God and taking care of the orphans and widows.
“When they call me on a Tuesday, even on a work day me and the family and the guys have to get together to make baskets and make it happen,” said Wilson.
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