This month we’re featuring a special piece written by one of our Agents, Tiffany Allen. She is a long-time volunteer and Board Member of Red’s Good Vibes. Giving Tuesday is November 29th, and it’s all about choosing a non-profit or cause which is close to your heart to support. For this reason, we’ve chosen Red’s and hope you’ll add this wonderful charity to your list of favorites. Please read on to find out why we love them so much!
Red’s Good Vibes (RGV) was started by three siblings; Caitlin McGrath-Levesque, Meghan McGrath-Hartman, and Michael DuPont; in honor of their late brother, Bobby. Bobby, aka “Red” had a dream to own and run his own food truck. He wanted “to make some money, but be able to help those who can’t afford a meal”, a career that would serve him while serving others. It made perfect sense to his surviving siblings that the greatest way to honor his memory was to make his dream a reality.
With $100 dollars each, a lot of hustle, and a dream to serve the community, RGV quickly gained momentum in their quest to build the food truck .
There is a lot more to how Red’s got here, it’s been a long journey, however, today I wanted to share the story behind a picture I believe embodies the soul of RGV. It’s an extremely happy and expressive photo. This one moment is why we do what we do. When a free food truck goes out to the community, eventually you get a following. It’s free food (and may I add yummy food) after all. Red’s attracts people from all walks of life. Red’s offer free meals, “no questions asked, with love, and Good Vibes”.
As a committed volunteer, I’ve grown to know the faces and stories of the people we serve. We serve the un-sheltered, those battling addiction, individuals with mental health struggles, families who just need an extra hand, the elderly, at-risk-youths, and people who are just strolling by. We serve employees from local shops, police on patrol, and members around town who offer a helping hand to our marginalized neighbors. The food is always free, and donations are also welcomed. Red’s understands the importance of love, and this is what they serve up on their bright Red Food Truck.
Back to the photo. This particular day was an “off day”, in that it was not our usual day on the town. We usually serve every Sunday in Dover, NH, however this was a Friday evening. Per usual, we shared our location on our Social Media, but we really weren’t sure if our regulars would see the schedule change or what the turnout would be. NH Chronicle (NH PBS) had requested a feature segment and needed some live action, so Friday it was.
We went about our business, prepping chicken soup and other meals… At least I think it was chicken soup, I honestly cannot remember. There’s something more important that sticks with me from that day. So we waited for our guests to arrive, answering questions for the producers and “staging” some clips for the feature.
Our regulars did come. They were more than happy and proud to see they might be filmed, understanding that Red’s story was getting much deserved recognition. They ordered their meals and chatted, laughing with us just like any other day at the truck.
Then, one particular man approached the truck. It took us a second to recognize him as one of our regulars. His demeanor was bright, he had a sparkle in his eye, and a huge smile, utterly unrecognizable from the man we’d come to know. Despite only being in his twenties, we came to understand his struggles with addiction through our regular meet-ups at the truck.
We asked him where he’d been this whole time and he replied, “I’m sober now, going on 90 days”! All this time he had been in treatment and recovery. No longer living on the street, he now had a warm bed in a sober home. He had a job and got his license. He also explained he had been avoiding “this area”, which had been so tied to his addiction, taking care to manage his triggers. Yet tonight was different. He saw our truck and felt compelled to share his good news. He also expressed thanks and gratitude to us for just being who we are. Showing up, rain or shine, and always sharing good vibes with no judgement. Slowly understanding our story and why we do what we do he shared his.
This picture is perfection. It captured the precise moment he shared his success story with us. THIS. This is why we load up Big Red and get food out to the community every week. It’s moments like these. Through soup and sandwiches, burgers and dogs, potato salad and slaw, we are building emotional connections with the people in our communities who need this love the most. We’re telling them with each and every meal that we see them, we love them, and they are important. These are the messages they need to hear the most.
As we’ve all matured into adulthood, at one time or another we’ve needed help, and that’s a hard thing to ask for. It’s humbling, it’s painful, and it seems to carry with it an admission of failure. “Help” doesn’t deserve its negative stigma. Everyone needs an extra hand from time to time, there should be no shame in it. That is what Red’s Good Vibes strives to do. Remove the shame and serve up dignity.
I am forever grateful this picture was captured. This very moment of triumph, that he was sober and doing well. This is the power and purpose of Red’s, and while we celebrate many small victories daily on the truck, this beautiful one just so happened to be captured on film.
Red’s Good Vibes is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit running entirely on the donations of generous people in our communities. You can learn more about Red’s on their website, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and more. Your tax deductible donation can be made on their website via PayPal, square or Venmo. For other inquiries, you can email them by clicking HERE. They hope to see you at the next event!