CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The New Providence Community Policing Center (NPCPC) donated a bike to a young man in need Aug. 17.
20-year-old Christopher Lasher arrived in Clarksville this past February from Florida. His mom wanted to be closer to family, especially Christopher’s grandparents.
Once in Clarksville, Christopher knew he was going to have to find a job to help his family. He walked around the city and ended up at The Dollar Tree. At first, they told him they were not hiring. But he went ahead and filled out an application, and they hired him only a week after he and his family arrived in Clarksville.
Since February, Christopher has been walking to work. He has to get up at 3:30 a.m. to be at work between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. When Christopher was asked how much time will be taken off his commute to work by using the bike, he said, “I will probably be able to get to work in 10 minutes rather than 30 minutes.” Then, in a joking tone, he said, “If I go full tilt, I could get there in 5 minutes!”
During the time Christopher has worked in Clarksville, all of his money has gone toward bills and to assist with groceries and any other items his family has needed. The majority of his mother’s paycheck goes towards rent. He has very little, if any, money left after each paycheck since he only works for five hours two to three days per week. He came to the NPCPC to see if they could help him land a full-time job or maybe even assist him in the process of joining the Navy. He said he has a scheduled interview for a full-time spot with Goodwill.
“Christopher is such a positive individual who takes care of his family. He walks everywhere he goes, whether it’s to work, to run errands for his family, or to make his appointments at the NPCPC. With all the walking he does, he has never missed an appointment and is always on time. He shows the characteristics of an individual who is determined to reach his goals,” said Gina Moore, Administrative Assistant for Career Solutions at Goodwill Industries.
Raymond Colon, Office Manager at the NPCPC and retired CPD Officer, and Gina Moore nominated Christopher for a new bike and submitted the information to CPD’s Sergeant Johnny Ferguson and Officer Jeff Derioco. The nomination then went through the proper Chain of Command, and it was determined that Christopher qualified for the bike.
Christopher was asked what this means to him. His answer, while becoming emotional, “I was blown away!”
When Christopher left after receiving the bike, he said he had to go get groceries for his family, but he was excited because he was able to run this family errand on his new bike.
NOTE: Two bikes were donated to the NPCPC by a man who was prior military. He had recently won the bikes and said he was not able to use them due to physical issues. He saw what the NPCPC was doing for those in need, and he wanted to help as well. One of his bikes was given to Christopher, and the other one will be given to another person in need. We would like to thank this unknown individual for his donation and to let him know he is giving one of the bikes to a very impressive individual.