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 community members 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.

Blending a servant’s heart with a love for remodeling and repair, Susan and her husband began operating out of their 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 also helped with grocery runs and errands. Once approved, seniors are looked after for as long as they live in their homes.

“Anything that goes wrong with their home, we’ll take care of it. All they have to do is pick up the phone,” Susan said.

The non-profit’s biggest annual fundraiser, Heartbeat, will be held later this month, June 25, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Lewisville. The event introduces donors to some of the seniors they help serve and includes dinner and fellowship.

“The blessings that have come out of this—you think you’re touching their lives, but in essence, they’re touching yours,” Susan said.