Sponsor Randy B.
Help Randy take the next steps from survival toward stability
Randy is a resilient, deeply caring man who has survived tremendous loss without losing his faith or his desire to help others. After more than four years without a home, he is beginning to believe in a future again. Red Bird is helping him recover his identification, apply for benefits, attend appointments, and work step by step toward safe and stable housing.
Randy B.
Rebuilding His Life With Hope, Faith, and Support
His Story
Randy grew up in an agricultural homestead and even completed some college courses in agriculture before his uncle later trained him to become a master plumber. He built a life through hard work, skill, faith, and a willingness to help his fellow man.
Randy has also endured deep heartbreak. Both of his marriages ended in divorce, and the end of his second marriage left him devastated. His life twisted, and he lost his only home. Not too long after, Randy lost his mother, who had been his best friend and one of the greatest sources of love in his life.
After losing his home, Randy’s world began to unravel. Drugs and alcohol became a way to escape the grief, heartbreak, and harsh reality of life on the street. They helped him forget for a little while, but they also made it harder for him to care for himself and find his way forward.
When I first met Randy, he was severely intoxicated and exhausted from the summer heat. He could barely speak, could not sit up safely, and appeared to have lost nearly all hope. We did not push him. We started slowly, listened, and allowed trust to grow.
Over time, Randy began to open up. The man who could barely speak a few words became someone who could hold a conversation for hours about life, faith, his past, and even his future. He began talking about getting his life together and told us with confidence that this would be his year.
Randy is tired of surviving outside. He wants what many people take for granted: a soft bed, a safe place to live, food in the refrigerator, a television, and a door he can close at night. Most of all, he wants the opportunity to begin caring about himself again and to be in a position to really help others again.
What He Needs Right Now
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Identification documents
A replacement state ID and Social Security card so he can apply for benefits, housing, and services. -
Benefits assistance
Help applying for food assistance, early Social Security retirement, Medicare, and any other programs for which he qualifies. -
Safe housing
A path away from the street and toward a safe room, supportive housing, or a modest home of his own. -
Weekly hygiene supplies
Soap, wipes, deodorant, oral-care supplies, clean socks, and other basics needed to maintain health and dignity. -
Clothing and camping supplies
Occasional seasonal clothing, shoes, blankets, and survival supplies while he remains outdoors. -
Transportation
Uber or Lyft rides to the DMV, Social Security office, medical visits, benefit appointments, and housing meetings. Summerville has very limited public transportation options.
Why This Help Matters
Randy is 62 and has significant mobility limitations. He walks with a cane and is missing all of the toes on one foot. Returning to full-time plumbing or other physically demanding work is no longer realistic.
Early Social Security, food assistance, Medicare, identification, transportation, and housing support could give Randy a stable foundation. A small part-time activity may eventually help him stay connected and engaged, but his immediate priority is getting safely off the street.
Randy has to learn again how to value himself, care for himself, and believe that his life can improve. That is difficult to do alone. Steady support, accountability, practical assistance, and compassion can help him remember that he is still worthy of dignity, safety, and hope.
Ways to Help
Current Status
Latest Updates
Randy’s Journey So Far
Randy has made remarkable progress through ongoing mentorship. He is now alert, engaged, keeping himself clean and shaved, cleaning up after himself, and encouraging others around him to do the same. He is seeking a volunteer opportunity or small part-time role where he can sit down, escape the heat, stay active, and feel useful while he waits for his Social Security appointment in early September.
Read the full update →Randy’s Grand Adventure to the DMV
Randy completed an important first step today by going to the DMV and obtaining his temporary identification. This will help him apply for SNAP, Social Security, housing, and other critical services.
Read the full update →Safety and Privacy
Program members are people Red Bird works with directly and on an ongoing basis. For safety and privacy, last names, exact locations, photos, and identifying details may be limited. Profile illustrations are general likenesses designed to protect identity, dignity, and reduce bias or profiling.
♥ At Red Bird, we deliver hope and continue step by step until the goal is fulfilled. ♥