“We are not our mistakes or our hardship, but instead our hearts and deliverance.” – T.M. Gilmore
Tranell “Tray” Gilmore may just be another name to you, but after meeting him you will be completely astounded by his strength and inspiration. Chamber Ambassadors and Staff officially met him at a ribbon cutting event for his for-profit business, Tray’s Mart.
Tray’s Mart is a modern convenient store that was created out of a need Gilmore saw during the COVID-19 lockdown. The lack of toilet paper, water, paper towels, etc. that so often left shelves bare during quarantine, made Gilmore think about ways that he could help the community. After almost choosing a different location for Tray’s Mart, fate allowed Arlington to be its home.
If you don’t know how the Chamber’s ribbon cuttings are set up, the general overview is we tour the business, have the owner tell us about them and their journey of becoming a business owner. Lastly, we gather everyone together to take a picture as the owner cuts the ribbon.
When Gilmore shared his story we learned about his struggles within foster care throughout his childhood which motivated his determination to be a part of a selfless cause when he grew up. His drive led him to create the nonprofit organization, Brotherhood Foundation.
Brotherhood Foundation came about in 2019 with a mission to create equitable lifestyles for fostered youth and minorities; one life at a time. Over the course of one year, they have sponsored thirty fostered youth in Arlington and invited them to participate in their programs. Their Foundation successfully hosted their first fundraiser this past June. With the proceeds from that event, they reinvested in their brand and in our youth. With more events planned for 2022 they can really make a difference in our fostered youth’s lives.
As of now, their most influential program is The Champion Program. Within this program, there is a multi-year life cycle beginning with providing annual stipends to eligible applicants in grades 7-12. Stipends range from $50 to $250. Once students are awarded, their stipends are then converted into Duckettes ($1 = 5 Duckettes). Students may use their award to shop on the Foundation’s website. They may exchange their Duckettes for donated items like hygienics, electronics, and driving school instruction. Objectively speaking, Brotherhood wants to provide the tools necessary to grant students with circumstantial hardships an opportunity to succeed in and out of the classroom. Once students are in college, Brotherhood Foundation sets up unpaid internships with the companies that gifted financial support and in-kind support. As Champions join the work force, they become donors, thus completing the life cycle of the program.
Business owner, Philanthropist, and educator at Kimball High School, Tray, relocated to Arlington to continue the legacy he began in California. The Chamber looks forward to seeing Tray thrive as a future community leader of Arlington.