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Josh Kimberlin and Stephani Grissom at the Nov. 3 South Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
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Mike Vest and Dana Mcginniss at the Nov. 3 South Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
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Donald Shirley, Don Robinson and Mike Cooley at the Nov. 3 South Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
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Jane Scott at the Nov. 3 South Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
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Valencia Moss and LeAnne Knight at the Nov. 3 South Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
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Mike Vest speaks at the Nov. 3 South Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
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Bragan Feldman at the Nov. 3 South Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
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Karon Grubbs and Natalie Locastro at the Nov. 3 South Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
Without nonprofits, Shelby County Commissioner Mike Vest admits he would not be where he is today. During the November South Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon, which had a spotlight on nonprofits, Vest shared his family’s story as well as how nonprofit organizations influenced his life.
Vest, who also is director of community and corporate relations for Knight Eady, grew up in Five Points West in Birmingham. His dad was an alcoholic, Vest said, and ended up leaving their family in 1975.
“He didn’t leave because he didn’t love us,” Vest said. “Alcohol is a bad thing, y’all. Alcohol is a bad, bad thing, and I’ve been witnessing it for almost 50 years.”
After his dad left, his mom had to work to support their family. In 27 years, she only missed two days of work, Vest said, and their family was on food stamps at times and sometimes relied on nonprofits.
“Nonprofits are huge for us,” Vest said. “Momma couldn’t afford to buy us Christmas presents sometimes, so we had Toys for Tots for several years. We had food stamps, but when my mom could afford to get off food stamps, guess what, did she stay on food stamps? She got off.”
One of those Toys for Tots presents — a football — ended up influencing Vest’s life more than the donor probably knew. After receiving that football one year, Vest went out to kick it every day. His love of football ended up leading to an athletic scholarship and eventually his degree from Samford University.
“Who do I give the credit to? I give the credit to my mom who said, 'Hey, I love you enough to embarrass myself and go get food stamps and ask for Toys for Tots because I got a football at Toys for Tots when I was 10 years old, and I kicked that thing so much the rubber came out of it," Vest said. "... And here I am with a college scholarship and a college education because of somebody giving a football to Toys for Tots."
Vest’s older brother also received help from nonprofits, although it came later in life. Pat quit school when he was in the 10th grade and was involved in the “drug scene,” Vest said.
“For about 30 years, he was really messed up,” Vest said. “We did everything we could for him, everything we could.”
In 2010, Vest left his office at the Birmingham Athletic Partnership and walked past the Salvation Army’s shelter in downtown when he heard someone call to him.
“I hear someone go, ‘Hey.’ There are the homeless people at Salvation Army up there on your left, and I’m walking to my car because they’re always wanting something,” Vest said. “I kept on walking, and then he said, ‘Hey Mike.’ Whoa. So I stopped, turned, and here comes this 120-pound man walking down the street, my brother Pat.”
His brother couldn’t afford to stay at hotel he had been at, so he went to the Salvation Army, Vest said, but he could not stay there any longer. Instead, he asked Vest to take him to The Foundry.
“He was there for a year and a half, got cleaned up,” Vest said. “They said, ‘Pat we love you so much, you’re such a good mentor, we want you to stay a year and a half longer.’”
He stayed at The Foundry as a mentor but left in December of 2013, going off to live on his own. He got a fulltime job and remained clean, Vest said, and became a Christian. On April 12, however, he died of a heart attack.
“He wouldn’t call an ambulance because he couldn’t afford to pay for the ambulance,” Vest said.
Despite 35 years on drugs and walking the streets, Vest said The Foundry and nonprofits helped save his brother.
“Thanks to the nonprofit sector, my brother was saved in more ways than one,” he said. “That’s how important it is to me.”
Vest’s dad died in 2012 and while they reconnected in his adult life, Vest said he knew his life had been better without him. Nonprofits, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, helped step in and shape his life, Vest said.
“I’ve got a big brother named Mark Griffin, and he was a Hoover firefighter for 33 years, and he lived on my side of town, Green Acres area,” Vest said. “… Mark became my big brother, and we’ve been best buddies for 39 years. This guy changed my life.”
Vest named his youngest son Griffin as a way to honor the way Mark Griffin changed his life, he said, and he encourages his kids to give back just as he does. His 25-year-old son Billy Vest is a big brother in Tuscaloosa, and has a little brother who he helps lead through life.
“Thank you nonprofits because I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for what you guys do,” Vest said.