Today we’d like to introduce you to Redd Martin.
Hi Redd, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
So at a very young age, I always thought when somebody died that if it was me, the world would be a better place at the age of seven my little brother, who was four years old drowned. I wanted that to be me so bad because I thought my brother had such a better life to live at the age of 11 I was molested by a babysitter. My dad was an alcoholic. He was a very abusive alcoholic, physically emotionally and mentally, but he also was my hero at the age of 13. I took my first drink and all the inside stuff that I was going through just went away the alcohol was working, but I also found out that age 13 I couldn’t get alcohol as I needed it so what I came up with is putting on a mask because if I put on the mask, you didn’t see how it was really feeling on the inside because if you really knew how I was feeling, you wouldn’t wanna be my friend anyways I wore this mask of being in the class clown. I knew if I can make others laugh you wouldn’t see me cry going through high school drinking was my escape as I got older the drinking quit working so I tried crack cocaine crack took me places that I never thought I’d be. I started becoming homeless and in and out of treatment centers, jails and institutions psychiatric hospitals in 2000 of March 23. I took a pistol and shot myself in the chest. I was at my end. I didn’t believe in God I didn’t believe he wanted anything to do with somebody like me, I was worthless after shooting myself I moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where I had become real angry with God because he wouldn’t even let me die when I really wanted to I would go to sleep and ask God not to wake me up only to be woken up to my nightmare so I became more and more mad at God the world and everybody else in 2016 after going through 32 treatment centers eight psych hospitals, six times in jail and trying to commit suicide five times I met the most wonderful lady. Her name is Cassandra Martin. I was Homeless and she was going through some problems in her relationship God knew what he was doing when he put her in my life because she was everything I needed and everything I could dream of she was beautiful. She was smart and she was just a loving person even though I didn’t think I deserved her. She stayed on November 27 at 2018 she gave me an ultimatum if I drink again or did any more drugs she would leave me and I was so scared of losing the best thing ever happened to me that I stopped on that day soon after that we were out feeding some men at a place called the Turning Point this place is for men that have come off the street and trying to get your life together while we were out there. She asked me how to cook and I told him that they cook on the grill and then they take the food up to the rooms and eat right after I said that she said wow what they’re missing this Sunday dinner like my grandmother used to cook, so we Wright then thought maybe we should go out and feed the people who need to be fed. This was during Covid so we could no longer feed on the inside at these treatment centers so we decided to go out and feed the people that who live in the under the Bridge’s on department benches and in the woods, we started off cooking in our kitchen and we would cook 75 to 125 meals every Sunday and go out and feed the Sunday dinner with the twist family since we started this almost 9 years ago. We have been out every Sunday except for five Sundays. We take men and women to treatment centers. We try to get them back home to their family and we provide Tent sleeping bags, clothes, shoes, and food and what are their essentials that they may need while they’re out there Homeless. I told Cassandra when we started this that I wanted to give them everything that I haven’t wanted when I was out there, Homeless so that’s what we do in 2020. We came across a young lady who is living under a bridge when I handed her a plate she started scuffing the food down with her hands. I asked her what was wrong and she talked about how the rats ate. The food is the night before when I went to go get her plate. My wife took her to the side and started talking to her once I got back my wife found out she was 5 1/2 was pregnant so we put her up in a hotel we made sure she had food clothes and anything else and my wife started taking her to doctor appointments on September 17, 2020 she called and asked us if we were going to help with the child. We had everything that she needed cribs clothes everything that you needed to come home with the baby the next day, she called crying and she was very upset and she told my wife if that we didn’t get up there and get the baby they were gonna put them in foster care so my wife calls me and tells me to meet her at the hospital we go there the information. The reason why they needed Sam to come home with us is because all three of them tested positive for methamphetamines so we pick Sam up from the hospital that Sunday night, we brought him home with us and on July 26, 2024. We stood in front of a judge where he gave us full rights for Samuel Dean we often wonder where Sam would be if God hadn’t put us together my wife describes it the best. She says God put two broken pieces together to make a perfect puzzle and on December 13 of this year we will hand out our 100,000 plate. That is the most amazing accomplishment that I’ve ever had in my life other than marrying my wife.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it has not been an easy challenge. We are watching men and women who we have built relationships with die and there’s nothing really we can do about it, but love on them and feed him.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
In Greenville County, I am known as the guy that feeds the homeless loves on the homeless and tries to get them into treatments and try to get them in off the street and we love them every day as if they were our own family
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Cassandra Martin deserves all the credit. She is the glue that holds me and Sunday dinner with a twist altogether.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Sundaydinnerwithatwist.org
- Instagram: SundayDinner with a twist
- Facebook: Sunday Dinner with a twist
