Wake County, North Carolina · Education, family & community
A vision of compassion, carried forward.
Every culture.Every background.Every ability.Every family.
Our Story
About Redemption Heritage Foundation
Restoring Hope. Strengthening Families. Building Legacies.
Redemption Heritage Foundation was founded by Sebrina Martin with a vision rooted in compassion, education, family, inclusion, and the belief that every life has value.
Located in Wake County, North Carolina, the foundation is being developed to support children, families, and individuals from all walks of life.
We believe that hope can begin with something as simple as a child discovering the joy of reading, a parent finding encouragement, a young person feeling accepted, or a family realizing they do not have to face life's challenges alone.
Why We Exist
Every family has a story. Every child has potential. Every individual deserves dignity, respect, and opportunities to grow.
Yet families may face challenges involving educational access, emotional well-being, disabilities, social isolation, financial hardship, or a lack of supportive community connections.
Redemption Heritage Foundation is being established to help address these challenges through planned educational initiatives, family-centered resources, community partnerships, inclusive programs, and opportunities for encouragement and personal growth.
Our goal is not simply to offer resources. It is to help create meaningful connections that strengthen families and inspire lasting change.
Our Commitment to Children
Children are at the heart of our vision.
We believe early literacy, positive learning experiences, supportive relationships, and inclusive educational opportunities can help children develop confidence and a lifelong love of learning.
Through proposed initiatives such as Every Voice Matters: Family Reading Together, we hope to encourage parents, grandparents, caregivers, and children to discover the power of reading and storytelling together.
A Foundation Where Everyone Belongs
Our vision includes families of different cultures, religions, backgrounds, abilities, identities, and life experiences.
We seek to promote understanding, acceptance, and opportunities for individuals who may feel overlooked, excluded, or underserved.
We believe differences should never diminish a person's worth or their opportunity to belong.
Faith, Hope, and Encouragement
Faith and encouragement are meaningful parts of the foundation's vision.
We plan to offer optional Bible studies, uplifting reflections, and opportunities for spiritual encouragement while respecting the beliefs and personal choices of every individual.
Participation in faith-based activities will not be required to access the foundation's other resources.
Building a Legacy of Hope
A legacy is more than what we leave behind. It is what we help others carry forward.
Redemption Heritage Foundation hopes to build a future where children are inspired to learn, families feel supported, young people recognize their value, and communities grow stronger through compassion and understanding.
Together, we can restore hope, strengthen families, and build legacies that last for generations.
Our current stage
Redemption Heritage Foundation has been formed and has obtained an EIN, with final paperwork pending. Federal 501(c)(3) recognition has not been obtained. Charitable programs are being prepared.
Meet Our Founder
Sebrina Ann Martin
Founder · Proposed President & Treasurer
Sebrina Martin is an educator, author, publisher, and community-minded founder with 24 years of experience in early childhood education, including 19 years in Head Start. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and is pursuing a master’s degree in Criminal Justice.
Her vision for Redemption Heritage Foundation grew from personal experiences with hardship, resilience, family caregiving, loss, and the belief that every person deserves to be seen. She hopes to turn the lessons of her life into opportunities for families and future generations.
Read Sebrina’s complete letter below, preserved in her own words.
In Her Own Words
From the Heart of Our Founder
Sebrina Martin, Founder of Redemption Heritage Foundation
There was once a little girl growing up in the projects who dreamed that one day somebody would come back and help.
Somebody who remembered what it felt like to struggle. Somebody who understood what it meant to need a helping hand. Somebody who would look at the people living there and see more than their circumstances.
I was that little girl.
I know what it feels like to come from a place where people may not expect much from you. I became a teenage mother, and there were people who never imagined I would accomplish the things I have accomplished.
But I kept dreaming. I kept believing. And at 53 years old, I am still pursuing my dreams, including working toward my master's degree.
I want my children and grandchildren to understand something: It is never too late to become who you were meant to be.
I want them to be proud of where we came from, how far we have traveled, and the people who helped us along the way. But more than that, I want them to understand that when you have the opportunity to reach back and help somebody else, you should.
That is something I learned growing up. It is part of my Christian faith, the values I was taught as a child, and the legacy I want to carry forward.
My mother is part of that legacy.
I want to honor her name, remember where she came from, and build something beautiful that reflects the love, strength, and lessons passed down through our family. Something that will continue making a difference long after I am gone.
I also know that life can change in ways we never imagine.
Going through breast cancer taught me things that no book could ever fully explain. Cancer affects more than your body. It can affect your mind, your confidence, your relationships, and your entire family. It can change how you see yourself and the world around you.
I understand how deeply people can hurt, even when others cannot see their pain.
That is why mental health awareness matters to me. Too many people suffer quietly. Too many families do not know where to turn. And in communities where mental health has not always been openly discussed, we need more understanding, more education, and more compassion.
I want people to know that asking for help is not something to be ashamed of.
My years working in early childhood education have also taught me that the way we love, encourage, and teach children matters.
When we tell children they are smart, capable, important, and loved, we plant seeds that can grow for a lifetime.
I believe every child deserves someone who sees their potential before they can fully see it themselves.
But this foundation is not only about children. It is about the parents who are struggling, the grandparents who are raising families, the young people searching for acceptance, the individuals living with disabilities, the people facing illness, and the families trying to hold themselves together through difficult seasons.
It is about seeing people who feel unseen.
It is about bringing hope to people who have almost given up on finding it.
It is about remembering where you came from and refusing to forget the people who are still there.
I am a Christian, and my faith teaches me to love, serve, and care for others. But I also believe that compassion should reach across differences. Redemption Heritage Foundation is being created to welcome people of every background, culture, religion, ability, and family experience.
You do not have to believe exactly what I believe to deserve kindness, dignity, opportunity, or support.
I want to build something that my children and grandchildren can look at with pride. Something that reminds them that their family came from somewhere, survived difficult things, kept believing, and chose to give something back.
I want them to continue that work in their own ways.
And one day, when I am no longer here, I hope this foundation will still be reaching people, encouraging children, strengthening families, and reminding somebody that their life matters.
Because I remember that little girl who wanted somebody to come back.
Today, I want to be part of the reason another little girl—or little boy—believes somebody sees them, believes in them, and cares enough to help.
That is why I am building Redemption Heritage Foundation.
Restoring Hope. Strengthening Families. Building Legacies.
Sebrina Martin
Founder, Redemption Heritage Foundation
The people behind the purpose
In Loving Honor of My Mama and Daddy
Their Sacrifices. Their Dreams. Their Strength. My Purpose.
The generations whose love and strength inspire a future of giving back.
Debra Jean Terry Martin Howard
My mother
Lorenzo Martin
My father
A family story shared by Sebrina Martin
My Mother, Debra Jean Terry: A House Filled with Music
“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.”
— Proverbs 31:26
If my grandmother filled our family with the smell of good cooking, my mother filled it with music.
There was almost never a quiet day in our home.
From the time she woke until the time she went to bed, music seemed to follow her everywhere.
Some people decorate their homes with expensive furniture.
My mother decorated ours with songs.
The radio played while she cleaned.
Music played while she cooked.
Music played while family visited.
It became the soundtrack of our lives.
She believed that music could lift heavy hearts.
Some days it did.
Some days it helped us laugh when life had given us reasons to cry.
She especially loved Fantasia.
Perhaps it was because Fantasia was from High Point, too.
Maybe she saw a little bit of hometown pride in watching someone from our city share her gift with the world.
Or maybe she simply admired the strength that came through her voice.
Whatever the reason, whenever Fantasia sang, my mother listened.
Her home became a place where people wanted to gather.
Weekends were special.
Friends stopped by.
Family visited.
There was always conversation.
Always laughter.
Always something cooking.
She loved opening her home to others.
To my mother, hospitality wasn’t something you planned.
It was simply the way you lived.
Years later, life brought her to Kansas.
There she met Bennie Hayward.
Their friendship grew into love, and they built a marriage that lasted for more than twenty years.
Together they created another chapter in our family’s story.
Yet even as life carried her into new places and new seasons, she never forgot where she came from.
High Point always remained part of who she was.
Long before Kansas, there had been another important chapter.
My mother and my father, Lorenzo Martin, shared many years together.
Although their marriage eventually came to an end, something beautiful remained.
Respect.
Friendship.
They continued to care for one another.
They remained friends until the day my father passed away.
That kind of grace is rare.
It reminded me that not every ending has to become bitterness.
Sometimes love changes its form without disappearing completely.
As I grew older, I began to understand that my mother’s greatest gift was not her cooking.
It was not the music.
It was not even the gatherings she loved so much.
Her greatest gift was making people feel that they belonged.
She welcomed people into her life the same way Grandma welcomed people to her table.
No one needed an invitation.
Only a reason to come.
Looking back now, I can still hear the music playing.
I can still picture family filling the house.
I can still hear laughter echoing through the rooms.
Those sounds became part of me.
They still are.
Whenever I hear a song that reminds me of home, I think about my mother.
And I smile.
Legacy Moment
Some families pass down jewelry.
Some pass down land.
Our family passed down music, laughter, faith, and the open door that always welcomed another friend.
Ancestor Spotlight
Debra Jean Terry
A woman whose home reflected warmth, music, and hospitality. She loved gathering family and friends, listening to music throughout the day, and celebrating artists like Fantasia, whose High Point roots filled her with hometown pride. She later made her home in Kansas, where she married Bennie Hayward, while always remaining connected to her North Carolina roots. She also shared a lasting friendship and mutual respect with Lorenzo Martin, the father of her daughter, Sebrina, until his passing.
“Let all that you do be done in love.” — 1 Corinthians 16:14
Family moments, lasting connections
Family photographs shared by Sebrina Ann Martin, celebrating the memories and generations behind the foundation’s purpose.
01 · Remembering loved ones02 · Generations together03 · A family celebration04 · Breast cancer awareness05 · Breast cancer awareness06 · Family time07 · Family portrait08 · Celebrating together09 · A personal portrait10 · Strength through the storms11 · Our family story12 · Family memories13 · Love across generations
People with a shared purpose
Meet Our Leadership
Our five proposed board members. Formal appointments are pending board approval.
Sebrina Ann Martin
Founder, proposed President and Treasurer
MB
Myrtle Benitez
Proposed Vice President
Gerald Foster
Proposed Secretary and Board Director
SM
Shanequa Crystal Shakeya Martin
Proposed Board Director
GM
Gerick Martin
Proposed Board Director
Five priorities. One vision of hope.
Our Five Charitable Focus Areas
These priorities guide our plans. Foundation programs are in development.
01
Breast Cancer Awareness & Family Support
Awareness, trusted information, and a vision of encouragement for individuals and families affected by breast cancer.
Virtual learning, family storytelling, and practical encouragement—beginning with families in High Point/Guilford County and Fuquay-Varina/Wake County, North Carolina.
Planning now · Registration is not open
These programs are being developed. Session schedules, participation arrangements, materials, and launch dates will be announced when ready. Pilot sizes and durations below are planning targets, not confirmed enrollment or promises of availability.
Illustrative program image: books, storytelling, creative writing, and learning materials.
Initial pilot · In development
Every Voice Matters: Family Reading Together
Family literacy · Early learning · Shared reading
Short, caregiver-supported virtual sessions help young children and their families enjoy books, build vocabulary, and practice shared reading at home.
Current pilot outline: four weeks, approximately 10 families with children ages 3–5, and one 30-minute online session per week, with optional activities between sessions.
Week 1 · Shared reading: listen to a story, talk about its pictures, and try a brief reading routine together.
Week 2 · Vocabulary: explore new words through conversation and playful practice.
Week 3 · Feelings & friendship: connect stories with kindness, emotions, and relationships.
Week 4 · Family stories: share memories and encourage children to tell stories in their own words.
Planned sessions combine a read-aloud, conversation, and a simple home activity. Caregiver feedback will help shape the next pilot.
Creative writing · Oral storytelling · Family legacy
Guided virtual storytelling and writing sessions for children, adults, and families who want to preserve a memory or express an idea.
Choose a memory, experience, or story idea.
Talk it through and organize the main events.
Write or dictate a short story with support.
Create a personal keepsake to share with loved ones.
Every person has a story worth telling, even when finding the words takes a little help. This is an educational program; commercial publication is not promised.
Social-emotional learning · Preschool education · Teacher development
A proposed virtual social-emotional learning training program for early childhood educators, childcare teams, preschools, Head Start programs, and Pre-K classrooms.
Recognizing and naming emotions.
Age-appropriate calming strategies and supportive classroom guidance.
Friendship, kindness, and inclusive learning experiences.
Practical communication with families.
First development step: an introductory 45-minute workshop with a facilitator outline, teacher handout, practice activities, and feedback form, followed by a pilot.
Training dates, fees, and registration are not established. Continuing education credit or state-approved professional development is not currently offered. This program is separate from the family literacy pilot.
Our broader literacy planning brings together shared reading, storytelling, and family learning within early childhood education and community assistance.
Virtual storytimes and online literacy classes.
Downloadable reading and family activity guides.
Caregiver questions and connections to public resources.
Appropriately sourced reading materials as funding and availability allow.
These are planned activities, not a separate sixth charitable focus area or a currently operating distribution service.
Across our five focus areas
Family Education & Community Connections
Future online presentations, educational resources, and community connections will address breast cancer and survivor encouragement; Alzheimer’s, dementia, and caregiving; autism acceptance and disability inclusion; mental health awareness, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and family acceptance; and early learning and literacy.
Community assistance planning also includes parent education, school readiness, family hardship awareness, domestic violence education, and housing-resource referrals. The foundation is not currently offering clinical care, emergency response, housing placement, or guaranteed financial assistance.
Optional Bible study and faith encouragement remain available on this website. Participation in faith activities is not required for other foundation resources.
Start small. Listen. Grow responsibly.
Our Program Rollout
A phased plan, with readiness guiding each step rather than a promised calendar date.
Phase 1 · Preparation
Build the foundation
Develop materials, consent and privacy procedures, accessible participation options, volunteer roles, and community outreach. Complete the organizational work needed for delivery.
Phase 2 · Pilot
Begin family learning
Start with a manageable family reading pilot and guided storytelling activities once funding, materials, and operating arrangements are ready.
Phase 3 · Listen & improve
Learn from families
Track attendance, activity participation, caregiver feedback, and completed stories. Use what families share to improve future sessions.
Phase 4 · Careful expansion
Grow with capacity
Consider additional literacy activities, awareness presentations, educator training, and community collaborations as resources and readiness permit.
Access & family participation
Planning includes clear visual prompts, readable guides, captioning where available, caregiver assistance, and activities adaptable to different ways of communicating. Some activities may work by phone or with low-cost paper materials; equipment is not currently promised.
Before live sessions involving children, the foundation will establish caregiver consent, controlled meeting access, and privacy procedures. Children’s images or recordings will not be publicly shared without appropriate permission.
Stay connected
Have a program question, an accessibility need, or an idea for collaboration? Email the foundation. This is an inquiry link, not program registration, and no place in a pilot is reserved automatically.
National resources and North Carolina connections for families, caregivers, and loved ones.
These independent organizations provide their own information and services. They are not represented as foundation partners, and the foundation has not launched direct services.
Local Help for Children & Families
Parenting support · Early childhood development · Literacy · School readiness · Disability support
Early childhood and parenting support for Wake County families, including developmental screening information, parent consultation, and workshops. Explore the service pages for age requirements and next steps.
Children’s social and emotional development resources, parenting groups, caregiver workshops, and information about the center’s services. Contact the center about current options and fees.
Guilford County Partnership for Children’s book and early literacy resources. Check the organization’s current enrollment information and participation requirements.
Parent education, caring connections, resources, and referrals for families raising children with disabilities or special health care needs in Guilford and surrounding counties.
Use the Community Portal linked on its website to explore local and state resources for families with young children.
Across North Carolina
NC Infant-Toddler Program & CDSA
Find official early intervention information for children from birth to age three with developmental concerns or special needs. The state website explains eligibility, family referrals, and how to locate your Children’s Developmental Services Agency (CDSA).
Local resource links reviewed October 16, 2026. Contact each organization directly to confirm service area, eligibility, costs, and availability. These are independent community resources.
Explore caregiver and dementia support groups serving central and western North Carolina, including the Guilford County region. Confirm current groups and registration with the chapter.
Learn about caregiver information, education, support, and respite-related assistance available through local aging networks. Services and eligibility vary.
Explore peer-led groups for adults supporting a loved one with mental health concerns. Check current locations, virtual options, and participation details.
The City of Raleigh lists service centers, housing access points, meals, and other basic needs resources, including connections in Cary and Fuquay-Varina.
Current county guidance for accessing homelessness assessments, including High Point and Greensboro access information. Check the official page for current arrangements.
Assessment or referral does not guarantee a housing placement, shelter space, or financial assistance. Contact the listed organization for current options.
Community programs, LGBTQ-friendly resources, and opportunities for connection in Guilford County.
Need immediate help?
For immediate danger, call 911. For emotional crisis support in the U.S., call 988 or text 988. This website and foundation email are not emergency response services.
Autism, mental health, caregiver, LGBTQ+, and housing resource additions reviewed October 16, 2026. Availability and eligibility are determined by each organization. External links open a new tab.
Faith & Encouragement
Interactive Bible Study Center
Tap a question to read a short answer and reflection. This optional faith-based space is open to anyone seeking encouragement; all foundation resources and future services are intended to be welcoming regardless of belief.
What does it mean to walk by faith?
Faith means trusting God even when we cannot see every step ahead. Read 2 Corinthians 5:7. Reflection: What is one small step you can take with courage today?
How can we show love to others?
Love is expressed through patience, kindness, and care. Read 1 Corinthians 13:4–7. Reflection: Who could use an encouraging word from you?
Where can we find strength during difficult times?
Psalm 46:1 describes God as a refuge and strength. Support from trusted people and professional services can also help. Reflection: What support could you reach for?
How do we practice forgiveness?
Read Ephesians 4:32. Forgiveness can be a process; it does not require tolerating harm or abandoning healthy boundaries.
What does hope look like after grief?
Read Psalm 34:18. Grief has no fixed timeline. Hope can begin with allowing ourselves to feel, remember, and seek support.
How can families encourage children?
Read Proverbs 22:6 and reflect on the value of listening, reading together, and celebrating effort.
What can we do when we feel overwhelmed?
Read Matthew 11:28. Pause, ask for help, and take one manageable step. Faith and professional mental health care can work alongside each other.
How can we practice compassion across differences?
Read Micah 6:8. Practice kindness, fairness, and respect. Every family deserves dignity and belonging.
How can I persevere when progress feels slow?
Perseverance does not mean carrying every burden alone. Galatians 6:9 encourages us to continue doing good, while James 1:2–4 reflects on endurance and growth. Rest, supportive relationships, and small steps can help us continue with care. Reflection: What is one meaningful step you can take this week, and who could support you?
A simple prayer: May we find strength for today, compassion for one another, and hope for the journey ahead. Amen.
Community Connections
Get Involved & Volunteer Interest
We are building toward future opportunities to serve families and communities together.
Volunteer Interest
Help us prepare to serve families. Tell us how you would like to contribute—reading and literacy activities, educational materials, outreach, technology, or another skill. We are collecting interest for future opportunities; active placements have not opened.
We welcome conversations with educators, caregivers, and community organizations about possible future collaborations. No partnerships are represented as established unless verified.
Current stage: Our foundation website is now online. Redemption Heritage Foundation has been formed and has obtained an EIN, with final paperwork pending. Charitable program planning continues; federal 501(c)(3) recognition has not been obtained. Future announcements will be posted once verified.
Sign Up for Foundation Email Updates
Request occasional news about program openings, volunteer opportunities, and ways to support the foundation.
Looking Toward the Future
Give Hope. Build Legacies.
Donation & In-Kind Support Inquiries
Interested in helping us build a legacy of hope? Contact us about future financial support or possible supplies for planned programs, such as children’s books, notebooks, and learning materials. Please email before sending items so we can discuss readiness and needs. Online giving is coming soon.
No donations are being collected here. The foundation does not currently have federal 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. No tax-deductibility claim is made.
A conversation can be a beginning
Contact Redemption Heritage Foundation
We believe meaningful change begins with connection.
Whether you are a parent, caregiver, educator, community partner, or someone interested in learning more about our mission, we welcome your interest.
Redemption Heritage Foundation
Serving families through developing virtual initiatives with an initial focus on High Point/Guilford County and Fuquay-Varina/Wake County, North Carolina.
For program inquiries, educational partnerships, or general questions, please use the email contact links below.
We look forward to sharing more as our foundation grows.
Every Story Matters. Every Voice Matters. Every Generation Matters.
These links open your email application. No message is sent automatically and no online submission form is active. Please do not email medical records or sensitive personal information.
A welcoming experience
Privacy & Accessibility
Your privacy
This website does not use a contact database, tracking analytics, advertising cookies, or an automatic mailing-list system. Email links open your chosen email application. The email updates form prepares a message on your device; your request reaches the foundation only when you send that email. Form entries are not stored by this website. Messages you send are handled by your email provider and the foundation’s email provider and may be retained for correspondence. You may email us to request deletion of correspondence, subject to any applicable recordkeeping requirements.
External resource websites have their own privacy policies. This website is hosted with ChatGPT Sites using Cloudflare infrastructure. The hosting providers may process technical information such as IP addresses and access logs to operate and secure the website.
Accessibility
We aim to make this site welcoming with clear headings, readable contrast, text alternatives for photographs, keyboard-accessible links, expandable Bible study answers, and layouts that adapt to small screens. If you encounter a barrier or need information in another format, email martinsebrina@yahoo.com.
Resource information
External organizations operate their own services; inclusion here does not establish a foundation partnership. Resource information is educational and does not replace individualized professional guidance. The foundation does not currently provide emergency or clinical services.
