Thanks to the doctors, nurses, first responders and volunteers and who serve mankind. Many times, these people are taken for granted and not thanked enough for what they do. Many times, these professionals put their lives on the line in dealing with certain situations.

I was at Providence Park Baptist Church in North Side on a recent Sunday when a parishioner became ill. A doctor who was at the service stepped right in to give the person medical attention until an ambulance arrived.

Thanks to the doctor for rendering his medical expertise in this situation. Job well done! I will not mention any names here, but I will say that he is my Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity brother and we are a service-orientated fraternity.

A few years ago, I was driving through Jackson Ward and saw a woman laying on the ground. She was surrounded by a group of men who appeared to be intoxicated.

I stopped the car and told my wife I was going to check on this older woman who seemingly was unresponsive. I told my wife to lock all the car doors when I got out because I didn’t know if this was a setup.

At the time, I was a CPR instructor for the American Red Cross. I gave the woman CPR until an ambulance arrived.

The motto is protect and serve when and where needed. This is what some people do on a daily basis. So we salute them all for what they do in making this world a better and safer place to live.

ERNEST PARKER JR.

Richmond