Frederick

Frederick was a professional bass player and was a member of the funk band Kiddo with two members of Parliament Funkadelic. In 1983, they made an appearance on Soul Train alongside Deniece Williams, with The Temptations airing on the same episode. After his time with Kiddo, Juice moved to Japan where he would live and work as a musician; he was truly living his dream. After 15 years, he decided to go back to the United States for a short break with the intention of returning to Japan to continue playing bass. 

Shortly after arriving in the US, he suffered a stroke. During his recovery and less than a year after the first, Juice had a second stroke which left him unable to walk, completely paralyzed on the right side of his body. The next two years would be spent in therapy, relearning to walk and to regain the functions that he had lost. During this time, at the suggestion of a nurse, an examination found that he had both prostate and lymphatic cancer, requiring a grueling ten-hour surgery. He credits his nurse with the early detection and the fact that he is alive today. 

Unable to play music, the thing that he most loved, he contemplated suicide. After another long recovery, having nowhere to go, all of his possessions still in Japan, he went to the Salvation Army where he would spend the next 2 years. It was the people at the Salvation Army that helped him get into his home with A Community of Friends at Fedora Apartments where he has lived since 2011.

During the most difficult times, Juice was able to find another kind of joy in his life – giving back to the places that helped him, starting at Fedora. He began peer mentoring at the hospital where he had his strokes and has been doing that consistently for over a decade. He continues to work with people at the Salvation Army.

One day of the week is volunteering at the Food Bank, the next he is filling his cart with food and supplies to share with people who are still on the streets, and the next he is riding his bike or the bus to collect newspapers in numerous languages to bring to those in the hospital. Juice volunteers six out of seven days a week and at 64 years of age and is not slowing down anytime soon.

This story was collected in 2021.