When it comes to taking care of your family, many will go to great lengths to ensure that their needs are met. However, most families have parents that work, while their children attend school and pursue their passions. For Derrick Taylor, a 19-year-old from Oxford, Alabama, pursuing his personal goals wasn’t something he had the luxury of doing. Because his mother was ill, he took up a job at the UPS customer center to take care of her.
The UPS Customer Center wasn’t close-by for Derrick—it was located ten miles from his home, and unfortunately for Derrick, he did not have a car. To make ends meet, he walked the ten miles, each way, every day. This walk took him three hours, each way, and so when his coworkers began to notice him walking, they were suspicious…
The Long Walk
At UPS, Derrick unloads and loads packages all day into UPS vans, earning him an hourly wage of $11.90. On top of walking 20 miles a day, the lifting of the boxes alone is strenuous. How was he keeping up?