One afternoon around 4:30 this past summer, I was walking from my house to the Lawrence County Department of Job and Family services. I live around the block on Eighth Street. I ran into Christopher on his way out.

The purpose of my trip was to resolve a simple straightforward matter that I was having trouble receiving the proper assistance from a worker on. Upon explaining the matter to Mr. Collins, he immediately offered to help me resolve the issue and took it upon himself to escort me into the building to ensure my matter was appropriately looked into.

What happened next was a matter of getting things done the way they should be. Mr. Collins took me straight to the appropriate division to get me the help I needed. He asked the workers questions with regards to the procedures to make sure I was not jumping in front of others and to make sure the one case worker he was able to locate was able to help me.

He was not playing favorites. In fact, this was the first time I had ever even met Mr. Collins. The matter was resolved that day. Based on my previous visits, if it had not been for Mr. Collins I would have ended up waiting in the lobby and, most likely, would have had to come back the next day to wait all over again.

Christopher’s willingness to help me out over the spur of the moment encounter, demonstrates his willingness to help folks here in our communities. I later found out the union at the agency filed a grievance against Christopher for making sure I got the help I needed. This is a shame.

I have been fortunate to know Christopher’s grandfather Oakley and his father Clark and I believe he embodied the same qualities they have demonstrated over the course of their lives when it comes to helping people – regardless of who they are or their party affiliation.

That’s why I am proud to say I will be voting for Christopher Collins and his father both this election day. They truly care about all the people of our communities and will represent us well.

Otis Davis
Ironton