By Marie Brown
“A friend in need is a friend indeed” is a proverb meaning a true friend is someone who helps you when you are in difficulty, proving their loyalty through actions, not just words, distinguishing genuine companions from fair-weather ones.
Such is the case of my true friend, Emma West. As a longtime resident of Monroe, Emma does not seek public recognition in the many things she does in our community. She is always in the background awaiting the next project to pursue. 21 years ago Emma assisted me in establishing the popular Juneteenth celebration in the City of Monroe. Throughout the years, the event has grown to be one of the largest in our community. A few years ago, the leadership of the Black Chamber decided to organize another Juneteenth event and in fact a prominent local Pastor attempted to persuade us to combine our efforts. Emma West stood tall and said we would welcome everybody to be a part of our event but we were not going to step aside to let someone else dictate to us how we were going to move forward.
Another example of Emma West’s community service work was when she initiated a project this past Thanksgiving when she fed 180 dinners out of her home to community residents who were looking for a hot meal during this special holiday weekend. We salute Emma West and pray for her giving spirit and pray that God gives her a long life to continue to do his will. Because of people like her, We can continue to Love where We Live and Live where We Love!
