by Travis Thaxton
It was business as usual on a Tuesday morning.
It started off as a very normal service call for Stewart Plumbing. The phone rang and Mrs. Davis told us about a church member who was in need of plumbing and electrical work. She and her husband identified an opportunity to help a neighbor in need, and decided to help out. We were happy to put our technician Chuck on site to address the needs of the customer. It became very clear that the work was far more extensive than anyone planned for, and would be well out of The Davis’ budget. We left a handful of estimates behind, and let Mrs. Davis know to give us a call should they figure out a way to handle the situation.
Thankfully that isn’t where this story ends. Chuck brought the news back to the office and sat down with our owner Tim Stewart and our service manager Mike Robbins, after sharing the story of the home-owner, retired police officer John Franklin, Sr, the decision was clear that this was a perfect opportunity to lend a hand to someone in need by donating the work.
Stewart Plumbing seeks ways to give back to the community.
Part of the responsibility of having a successful business is to help those who are less fortunate. After a handful of phone calls we were set up to have an install crew on site a few days later. The work would take one full day with two plumbers, and then we would need to return after the city made their inspection for a few hours to hook everything up. This was a great opportunity for our seasoned Master Plumber Scott Everett to work with our newest apprentice Adam McCollough and show him the ropes of gas work in Memphis.
After a day full of working on installing new gas piping and connections throughout the home, bringing the gas system up to current city code, reworking the water heater and furnace, pulling a permit with the city, passing the inspection, and returning the next day to prepare the gas system for MLGW to install the meter, we were done and Mr. Franklin was in a position to have his gas turned back on!
Though he has trouble getting around, Mr. Franklin was eager to lend a hand to Scott and Adam and share stories of his time as a police officer in Memphis. He mostly looked forward to getting a nice hot shower. Thank you for your years of police service, Mr. Franklin. We’re so very glad that we could help! A photo from Mr. Franklin’s younger days sat over his piano.
