CCF grant helps restore seniors’ Hearts and Homes
Years ago, while living in Pilot Point, Susan Frank met a senior woman who operated a small country gas station out of her home. She had no family in the area, so members of the community often chipped in to mow her yard, trim the bushes, and maintain the flower beds. Among the regular volunteers were Susan and her then-three-year-old daughter, and it was there, one day after using her tractor to mow the woman’s yard, that the vision for Hearts for Homes was first conceived.
Although it would be several years before Susan could pursue this calling, she knew in her heart that she would someday help seniors in need with home care and repairs. In 2006, “someday” arrived.
“God began renewing that vision,” Susan said. “I’d been at Liberty Christian School for nearly 20 years, but I left behind a paycheck and launched Hearts for Homes [and] I’ve never regretted it.”
Blending a servant’s heart with a love for remodeling and repair, Susan and her husband began operating out of their own home with only $1,000 in seed money. The mission? To serve low-income senior homeowners across Denton County.
“A lot of our seniors are living in terrible conditions,” Susan said. “From the outside, it looks okay, but then you open the door and cross that threshold, and it’s a whole different world. Our seniors should not have to live that way.”
Hearts for Homes’ commitment to the 90+ households it serves permeates its every action. During the pandemic, they even helped with grocery runs and errands. Once approved, seniors are looked after for as long as they live in their homes.
Volunteers meet on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, doing everything from texturing and painting to replacing non-functioning appliances and doing bathroom and flooring repairs. They also, as Susan was first inspired all those years ago, provide landscaping.
“Basically, anything that goes wrong with their home, we’re going to take care of it. All they have to do is pick up the phone,” Susan said.
Hearts for Homes’ biggest annual event, its Heartbeat fundraiser, will be held later this month, June 25, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Lewisville. The 50s-themed celebration will include dinner, fellowship, games, and more. The event also introduces donors to some of the seniors they help serve, putting a face to the cause. Tickets, as well as event and table sponsorships, are available for purchase.
“The blessings that have come out of this—you think you’re touching their lives, but in essence, they’re touching yours,” Susan said.
The CoServ Charitable Foundation has worked with Hearts for Homes for many years, even donating a retired truck from the CoServ fleet in 2020. The support, Susan says, has been a huge blessing.
“It allows us to stretch our resources by taking budget dollars and stretching them even further to where we can take care of a lot more needs.”
Those needs include the cost of materials, which have been heavily impacted by inflation in recent years, and the services required to make home repairs for the overall well-being and safety of seniors.
“Meeting Basic Human Needs is one of CCF’s key pillars for supporting our communities, and non-profits like Hearts for Homes help realize that initiative,” said Jennifer Ebert, CoServ’s CCF and Outreach Coordinator. “Any time you can work with a great organization and help improve the lives of others in the community, everyone wins.”
Hearts for Homes has assisted over 760 families in Denton County, eclipsing 81,000 volunteer hours along the way. For Susan, it’s not simply about restoring homes but the dignity of the seniors they serve to preserve their memories and stories.
“It’s been the most challenging, at times most heartbreaking yet rewarding thing I’ve ever done.”
