“In big cities like Mexico City and LA, where I lived before, it's easy to feel invisible and not get involved in the community. You tend to think everything is fine, and often you don’t even see the needs. All that changed when I moved to Memphis in 2000. There weren’t many Spanish speakers here then, so anything associated with Latin culture grabbed my attention. I didn’t speak English at all in the beginning, but once my skills improved, I started volunteering as a translator with St. Jude and did that for four years. The hardest part of that work was when I’d have to sit in a room with the doctor and the family of a very sick child and translate to those parents what they never wanted to hear. It was so difficult. Often the family knew what the doctor was going to tell them, but their eyes were fixed on my face, just begging me not to say the words. Nothing can prepare you for delivering news that will devastate a family. Nothing. You can’t change the outcome, you can’t do anything to take away their pain; all you can do is be there and stand beside them.
"The work St. Jude does is tremendous, and the company I'm with---FedEx---is one of their big supporters. I thought I was really giving back by volunteering there. I thought I was helping, but it turned out that I got far more than I gave. Seeing those little children with such strength and faith, smiling and playing and happy in spite of the fact that they were very, very sick---it put my problems into perspective.”
"The work St. Jude does is tremendous, and the company I'm with---FedEx---is one of their big supporters. I thought I was really giving back by volunteering there. I thought I was helping, but it turned out that I got far more than I gave. Seeing those little children with such strength and faith, smiling and playing and happy in spite of the fact that they were very, very sick---it put my problems into perspective.”
Francisco: "It's difficult to get a job when you don't speak English, but FedEx gave me a chance when I first moved to Memphis. They saw my potential, hired me, and I've moved up in the company over the years. I appreciate that FedEx makes it possible for me to be involved in all kinds of community activities."
Francisco Cervantes has a degree in architecture and a background in graphic design. He has done translation work for a number of organizations, including the Red Cross and the Memphis Police Department, and works as a Sr. Instructional Development Specialist with FedEx. The FedEx Corporation is very active in the Memphis community and is a huge supporter of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. As a member of various boards and organizations, Francisco helps others get involved and give back to our city and our world.
Francisco Cervantes has a degree in architecture and a background in graphic design. He has done translation work for a number of organizations, including the Red Cross and the Memphis Police Department, and works as a Sr. Instructional Development Specialist with FedEx. The FedEx Corporation is very active in the Memphis community and is a huge supporter of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. As a member of various boards and organizations, Francisco helps others get involved and give back to our city and our world.
- Chair of Hispanic Network within FedEx
- Serves on the Board of Directors for Latino Memphis
- Serves on the Board of Directors for Centro Cultural
- American Red Cross volunteer
- LinkedIn: Francisco Cervantes
- Email: fcervantes@fedex.com
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