Local DJ and motorcycle club give water and food to the homeless

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — As DJ Jahmar Francis handed out water, pizza and socks, he greeted people who were homeless and living at Santa Rita Park.

“You have a blessed day,” he would tell them, moving on to the next person.

He hosts his water walk annually during the summer with his organization Deejays Against Hunger. He’s been doing it for at least the past seven years.

Francis and Deejays Against Hunger give out food to the homeless a few times a year and do other philanthropy events like giving backpacks to students. Last month Francis was even honored by the Pima County Attorney’s Office for his philanthropy.

“Everybody can be homeless at some point in their life, so it’s just best that we give back to our community and realize that everybody is a part of our community,” Francis said. “It gets hot and a lot of homeless people, they die of dehydration.”

In Pima County, the medical examiner’s office says four homeless people have already died this year. All of those deaths happened just last month. Last year, they say the between June and October they recorded 46 homeless people that died because of the heat. They say the heat was either a primary cause or a significant contributing factor.

“They don’t have the pleasure of just going to your refrigerator and getting water and stuff like that. Water does save lives as they say, so it’s just me doing my part to save some lives today,” Francis said about his work.

His brother Jahron Francis and the club he is a part of, Chosen Few Motorcycle Club, were also at the event, helping to pass out the water, food, and clothes.

Jahron is the vice president of the club and for him, the Water Walk is a way to give back.

“Sometimes the community that we should be looking out for gets forgotten so we’re just out here trying to do our part to remember them,” Jahron Francis said.

The Pima Medical Examiners Office says overall in Pima County, there were 176 heat related deaths in 2023. So far in 2024 they say there have been 24.

Both Francis brothers are hoping their help can bring those numbers down, especially as the temperatures soar up.

“One person can make a change and make a difference in the community so you should try to do what you can when you can,” Jahron Francis said while Jahmar Francis said, “It doesn’t take a million dollars to do. Anybody can do it. It just takes a will and a drive to do.”