Doug Edwards

In everyone’s life there are those defining moments where you look back years later and see where the Lord has guided us to where we need to be. For me the moment first struck with the death of my brother in-law after his battle with cancer. I stepped in to help my sister work through the distribution of his estate, setup her investments and do her tax returns. Although it was a difficult time I found the work exciting and invigorating and as a result I took the time to investigate the possibility of becoming a Financial Planner in the future.

Fast forward about 5 years and with the Lord in the driver’s seat I went through the Certified Financial Planner one year course at Christian Brothers University, prepared for and took the CFP exam and then decided the time was right to move on from my hotel management career with Marriott into the financial investment and planning world.

Retiring from Marriott in December 2004 after 23 years, I took some well needed time off to rest and reflect on the future. I had always wanted to get more involved in volunteer work but 60 hour work weeks left me very little chance to do so. Now with time on my hands the Lord came calling again. I happened to read about the Oasis of Hope Financial Team looking for volunteers and thought, “This is exactly what I am looking for.” The exciting part was that before retiring, I was the GM at the Downtown Marriott and had helped launch a job training and placement program with the Uptown Alliance, for citizens in the area right around Caldwell Elementary. Needless to say, it has been a perfect fit and as we grow and expand the work we do, it has been and continues to be an exciting adventure.

Without a doubt we are making a big difference in North Memphis, especially through our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, about to start our third year. This is a free service to the citizens. It is extremely gratifying knowing you are helping someone who really needs help. Our team feels that the work we do is changing peoples lives, one family at a time.

It is very easy to donate money and feel you are doing your part, as I did for years. But until you step out of your comfort zone and impact the life of someone in need of assistance, you will never feel true joy and you will miss out on the feeling you get when you see the Lord’s work in action. I encourage anyone who has a few hours and wants to experience true joy in life to be a part of the Oasis of Hope ministry where people are changing the world, every day, every week, every month, one family at a time. Ours is not a sprint, but a marathon and we are only in the first few miles. There are plenty of miles left to go and room for lots more on our journey of change!

Doug Edwards