A few days before his nonprofit’s eighth annual Friendsgiving Event, Sheldon Diggs was busy preparing food at Community Care Fellowship in East Nashville. He bopped around the kitchen, mashing potatoes in aluminum containers and pulling out cooking utensils.
As he spoke, he got a boost of energy and turned up the volume on his Bluetooth speaker playing ’90s R&B hits.
“It’s pure joy,” Diggs said and smiled. “I just love giving back.”
For the past eight years, just in time for Thanksgiving, Diggs has given out meals to his displaced neighbors. Each year, he rallies the community to help. Volunteers cook dishes, prepare plates and donate refreshments.
Being able to help his community in this way hits home for the veteran, who once experienced homelessness himself. In 2014, Diggs struggled with substance abuse, which led him to lose his housing. Three years later, after getting clean, he founded his organization Souls United, then named Street Team Legal.