Houston native Trae The Truth took a trip to Alabama to visit Martha Louis Menefield, the 82-year-old grandmother who was handcuffed and arrested for not paying a $77 trash bill.
Menefield appeared shocked and embarrassed in a video of Valley Police Department officers arriving at her home on Nov. 27 to arrest her for “Failure to Pay-Trash.” She reportedly had outstanding bills for the months of June, July, and August, totaling $77.80. She was released on bond, though Trae and many others felt her arrest was unjust.
On Tuesday, Dec. 28, the rapper and activist shared Instagram photos of himself and the elderly woman with flowers he gave her. He also revealed a GoFund Me account was set up for her. The account has reached $33,387, which surpasses its $25,000 goal.
“Made A Quick Flight and Pulled Up On Mrs Martha Menefield…. She wont go thru what she went through again…,” Trae captioned the post. “Her Energy Keep U In Good Spirits….. We Can Do Our Best To Help Change Her Life…. You Can Donate To Her Directly … Link In My Bio…”
Trae introduced Mrs. Menefield to his 1 million followers in a separate video of himself, her, and a friend shopping at a store. “Hey. Yeah, what up, we made it to Valley, Alabama, me and the homie, Lake,” he said looking into the camera. “But I got a friend I want y’all to meet. She wanted to tell y’all a few words.”
He then turned the camera on Menefield, who said, “You just don’t know how much they have blessed me today … and other people too.”
“I thank everybody else that’s helped me too,” she continued. “This is just the beginning. Y’all have blessed me, and I thank you so much.”
Trae ended the video by saying, “Y’all just met Mrs. Martha. Stay tuned. ‘Cause, she definitely is fun. Let’s get it.” He then turned the camera on Menefield, who said, “You just don’t know how much they have blessed me today … and other people too.”
“I thank everybody else that’s helped me too,” she continued. “This is just the beginning. Y’all have blessed me, and I thank you so much.”
Trae ended the video by saying, “Y’all just met Mrs. Martha. Stay tuned. ‘Cause, she definitely is fun. Let’s get it.”
Valley officials said they attempted to contact Menefield numerous times about her bill, including leaving a message on her door before issuing a citation in August. She failed to appear in court. It resulted in an arrest warrant. Several individuals tried to pay the bill, but it cannot be paid until January. Her daughter Neketti Tucker and a family friend, Matt VanHouten, also expressed outrage about Menefield’s arrest during an interview with CBS 2.
“I’m just happy my grandkids weren’t here to see that,” Menefield told the outlet. “That would have upset them. I was so ashamed. And it’s been bothering me.”
Trae, whose real name is Frazier Othel Thompson III, is viewed as a hero by many, especially in his hometown. The “I’m From Texas” emcee has donated food, money, and his time to support local residents in Houston and beyond. He also hosts annual food drives, bike giveaways and a sports camp through his organization Athletes By Nature.
A week before Christmas, the “Slidin'” artist blessed the homeless in his community by passing out free jackets, hats, and blankets, and earlier this month. Back in April, he helped a local Houston woman who was robbed at gunpoint in a viral video. He condemned the assailant who robbed her in his own video and revealed plans to visit her.
“I Made It To Her….. I Made Sure She know That Real Ones Dont Stand By Or Approve What Happen To Her…. And Also Blessed Her…” Trae captioned a photo of himself and the woman on Instagram. “Protect Our Own…. I Told Her She Should Create Her Own personal Go fund because a lot of people want to help her…”
