Homeless encampments can be found across Tucson. The issue is so rampant that the city has a tool that allows anyone to report it.
For one local man, when he comes across these encampments, he does the opposite.
“When I was looking at my DJ career, it was like, do I want to just be known as a DJ or do I want to use my platform to help people?” said Jahmar Anthony, a long-time DJ in Tucson.
When Anthony isnt deejaying at parties or clubs, he likes to spend time providing meals and a sense of belonging to those less fortunate.
“So I’ve been helping the homeless and helping others around Tucson for about ten years now,” he said.
The Detroit native has been in Tucson since the ’80s. Through his platform as a local deejay, hes been able to perform his philanthropic work by inviting others to join him in giving back.
“I say at my events, Hey, I’m collecting water for this event or I’m collecting food for this event. It makes you really look at being blessed for what you have,” he said. “They’re really thankful; they’re really happy.”
Anthony says his willingness to put others before himself was instilled in him at a young age by his mom, who would routinely give back during his time in Michigan.
He explained, “When I started doing stuff like that, it started coming back in my head, like, my mom kind of trained me.”
He has no plans to stop his advocacy anytime soon. Encouraging others to do the same and look out for their Tucsonan neighbors.
“You never know somebody’s story. You never know what put somebody on hard times, what made somebody go down that path in life. That’s what I think we need to remember, is that everybody has a story,” Anthony said.