Owner Of Local Tree Service Company Gives Back To Community

An owner of a local tree service company is giving back to the community by doing a day of caring where he and his company work free for one day out of each month.

Ben Martin started R&B Tree Service in Edmond about five years ago after having some personal challenges.  

“I got sober off of hard drugs about fourteen years ago, and then I was a functioning alcoholic, just able to maintain and keep my head above water but eventually figured out sobriety,” R&B owner Ben Martin said.  

After overcoming his dependency challenges, he started R&B Tree service as a weekend side job with one chainsaw and his truck. 

“Eventually got a trailer and then a bigger saw and just started making more money on the weekend working trees than I did working my full-time job,” Martin said. 

With his sobriety, came his reality 

“I think I put a lot of bad karma out, and since then I’ve apologized and made a mend where I could. Now I lead a life of honesty, and I try to help others whenever I can,” Martin said.  

He started Share and Care Relief, a nonprofit to raise funds for his day of caring, a day every month that he and his company work for free. 

“We help out anyone that can’t afford expensive tree work. Now I can’t help out every single person that calls me, but usually widows, single moms, veterans, disabled veterans,” Martin said. 

They even help ministries and nonprofits like Beautiful Restoration. 

“We had limbs across our driveway, we had them across the doors, we had them everywhere,” Kaylen Balzer, the founder of Beautiful Restoration Ministry, said. 

The small ministry knew they could not afford to fix the tree problem. 

“He heard about us and actually called us, and said every Tuesday we help out a nonprofit,” Balzer said,  

The estimated cost for the work was around $40,000. 

“Most of these charity projects R&B is just eating the tab,” Martin said. 

Why does Martin give away services that he could easily get paid for? 

“What it feels like to give back, to be able to help my community, I don’t know, I’m just addicted to it,” Martin said 

For more information about R&B tree service, click here.