LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Salvador 'Sal' Melendez found his purpose in life -- helping people in need.
He's currently the public information officer for Metro Public Works, but his road to that position was not an easy one.
“I came to the United States in 1988," Melendez said. "After a brief time in Texas, where my older brother and I came in through border town, after a brief time there we were placed here by a movement then that assisted peoples who were fleeing danger. And in our case, El Salvador at the time was going through a civil war that we had to flee."
The Sanctuary Movement provided safe havens for refugees, like churches. At 18 years old, Melendez and one of his brothers traveled from El Salvador to the U.S.
“When we came here, we didn't speak the language," Melendez said.
He listened to popular music which helped him learn English in just six months. He said it was the people he came across that helped him start a career as a firefighter in 1997.
"When you are an immigrant in a community, a lot of the times you don't know what services or what opportunities are there for you. Because, frankly, you don't think about those things," Melendez said. "As I became a firefighter, I always kept that in mind and made it a point to pass on any knowledge that I could to anyone who was looking for an opportunity, not just anyone who was of Hispanic descent, but to anyone who we could see that needed to know about this opportunity."
He was named Firefighter of the Year in 2006, and won the Medal of Merit three times for his work as a translator. Melendez also moved up the ranks and became the public information officer for the Louisville Fire Department.
When he became an American Citizen, he petitioned to have his parents moved here. Both have since passed away, but they were able to see their son succeed and build a family of his own.
“We want people to know that we are part of this community, that we make this community stronger and that new people also need an opportunity and the opportunity to show what they can do what they can give you," Melendez said. “My work with Metro Public Works, a department that strives to positively impact our daily lives, has enabled me to continue to serve the Louisville community."
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