Craig Allen Cooper spoke during the 2024 PATH Week Celebration Dinner on Thursday. He emphasized the importance of helping others. (Raquel Villatoro/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

After Nashville resident Craig Allen Cooper saw his friend Walker Hayes, country artist and author, lose both a music deal and a sponsored van, he and his wife decided they needed to help him and his family.

One day while out on a walk, Cooper saw a car for sale. They decided to buy it, keep it and give Hayes the van for his family of six kids.

“Somebody did this for me once, just let us do this for you,” Cooper said. “And after arguing for a little bit, he finally, reluctantly took it and drove off.”

Over a year later, Cooper was questioning whether he was making a difference. During a dinner with his wife, Cooper was sharing his feelings of discouragement. Then his wife’s phone buzzed with a message from Hayes’ wife. The text contained an music file titled ‘Craig.’ Through this song, Cooper learned how much his gesture impacted Hayes.

In the song, Hayes recounts the story.

“When you lose a record deal, yeah all the perks fade fast

Dealership said, “We’re going to need to get that mini-van back”

So we were down to one car

And broke as I felt

My wife and six kids and only five seat belts.”

Hayes goes on to write in the song that he needed help but couldn’t admit he was struggling. He told Cooper it was “all good,” but Cooper “knew it all wasn’t.”

While Hayes knows a prayer would’ve been sufficient, he said Cooper “took roadside assistance to a whole other level, to sacrificial heights.”

“Showed up at the ballpark after my son’s game one night

In two cars, with his wife Laura watching from the other

I said ‘What in the world are y’all doing here, brother?’

He just laughed inside that old Chrysler Town and Country van

With the keys, and a title, and a pen in his hand

Said ‘Man, all you got to do is sign and it’s yours'”

That was one of the ways Cooper, keynote speaker during the 2024 PATH (People Attempting to Help) Week Celebration Dinner held last week, reiterated to the audience that everyone needs help. PATH supporters and community members gathered at Green Acres Baptist Church Crosswalk Conference Center for food, awards and to hear Cooper speak.

“We are people in need of help, helping people in need of help,” Cooper said. “No one is exempt from the need to receive help. Just because we’re here tonight at a benefit, that doesn’t mean that we don’t need help from others.”

Cooper is co-author of the book “Glad You’re Here” with Hayes, Grammy-nominated country singer and songwriter.  In Tyler, Cooper talked about the importance of helping others, community and the loneliness epidemic.

“Texas is big, and everywhere we look, people are crying out for help,” Cooper said. “So at times, it can feel a little bit overwhelming. We are the most digitally connected people this world has ever seen, but so many are communicating that they feel relationally disconnected.”

Cooper said Gen Z is the loneliest generation.

“This generation has never been offline,” Cooper said. “They can’t remember a time when those things didn’t exist. So they’re so connected and yet feeling so alone.”

In 2023, the United States Surgeon General issued a warning on the loneliness epidemic. People need other people, Cooper added.

“You can graduate from kindergarten, you can graduate from high school. You can graduate from college…  but you will never, ever, ever graduate from this: your need for other people,” Cooper said.

Cooper emphasized everyone is unique. Growing up as a twin, Cooper often compared himself to his brother. It was not until later in life, he realized he had different strengths. While his brother enjoyed having multiple meetings in one day, he enjoyed reading and writing.

“We are meant to be different,” Cooper said. “We’re uniquely designed. And you’re uniquely designed for impact in this world, you’re also uniquely positioned.”

The dinner highlighted the important work PATH is doing. PATH staff shared stories about PATH’s impact on them.

PATH Board Vice President Elva Estrada remembers having to explain the work of PATH to her daughter when she was in elementary school.

After her daughter learned there are people who need help, she asked if there are little girls who have princess dresses and dolls like her.

She proceeded to take her dresses, toys and dolls to the living room with the desire to donate them. They donated the toys to PATH and sold the dresses. The money they received from the dresses was donated to PATH.

“I’m just thankful to PATH, that PATH paved the way for my daughter to understand that there’s something way bigger on the other side of that princess dress, that there’s something way bigger on the other side of that Barbie doll, those toys, those stuffed animals,” Estrada said.

PATH provides transitional housing, coats to keep kids warm, rental assistance and a food pantry. In addition, they provide case management, fans during the summer and connects people with resources.

Also at the dinner, Christus Fund, Jimmy Olsen, of JJO Charities, and J. Chad Parker were awarded as the 2024 Trudy Richardson Community Impact Award recipients.

Olsen holds a Stuff the Bus food and school supplies drive each year in East Texas. In the last four years, Olsen has donated over 142,000 pounds of food, $46,000 worth of diapers, and $24,000 of personal care items.

“I don’t do it for the accolades. I do it for the kids,” Olsen said. “No child should ever go to bed hungry. Every child should have what they need on day one for school and every child should have a smile on Christmas morning, no matter what their religion or holiday that they celebrate.”

For more information on PATH visit, https://www.pathhelps.org/.

I met Craig at a church called Redeeming Grace

It’s like he understood my “I don’t want to be here” face

I felt out of place and I smelled like beer

But he just shook my hand, said “I’m glad you’re here”

He says “we’ll all be judged”

But he was never judgmental

And even though my songs don’t belong in no hymnal

He’d quote me my lyrics, slap me on the back

Said, “Man you’ve got a gift! How you write like that?”

Yeah I know, he sounds cool right?

Not your typical kid from Sunday School, right?

I still ain’t figured out church yet

But Craig, I get

Nah he can’t walk on water, turn the Napa Valley red

But he just might be tight with a Man that did

Now he’s not the Light of the World

But I wish that mine was bright as his

Yeah he just might be tight with a Man that is

When you lose a record deal, yeah all the perks fade fast

Dealership said, “We’re going to need to get that mini-van back”

So we were down to one car

And broke as I felt

My wife and six kids and only five seat belts

I needed help but couldn’t admit I was struggling

Said, “Craig, it’s all good”

But he knew it all wasn’t

A “Hey man I’m praying for you” would’ve been sufficient but nah

He took roadside assistance to a whole other level

To sacrificial heights

Showed up at the ballpark after my son’s game one night

In two cars, with his wife Laura watching from the other

I said “What in the world are y’all doing here, brother?”

He just laughed inside that old Chrysler Town and Country van

With the keys, and a title, and a pen in his hand

Said “Man, all you got to do is sign and it’s yours”

I said “No, no way”

But he wouldn’t take “no” for an answer

He said “Please do

Somebody did this for me once, just let me do this for you”

We argued about it for a little while

Then I teared up, and Craig smiled

Yeah I know, he sounds cool right?

Not your typical kid from Sunday school, right?

Nah he can’t walk on water, or turn the Napa Valley red

But he just might be tight with a man that did

Now he’s not the light of the world

But I wish that mine was bright as his

Yeah he just might be tight with a man that is

My pride was way too ashamed to be adequately grateful at the moment

But I signed the dotted line, and I drove the kids home

And when the cop pulled up beside us

At the light, they didn’t have to duck

Because thanks to Craig

They were all buckled up

Source: LyricFind