May 2024
Closing Out National Mental Health Awareness Month on a High Note
— Jackie, Enfield, CT
This time of year, we always like to remind our closest volunteers, friends and supporters that the gifts you share with HomeFront impact so much more than walls, roofs and doorsteps. So far, our volunteers have assisted 15 at-risk families this month alone in substantial ways. After the work is done, every beneficiary receives a survey from us. You might think their top response would be something about the precious finances we have freed up or the fact that their homes now feel safer and healthier. We do get those responses. And yet, consistently, the No. 1 response is that this work lifted their spirits, psychologically. That’s why it is so fitting that our Spring HomeFront Days coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month.
Final Wish Granted
Jackie’s home is the perfect example of spirits lifted. This Enfield resident served our country in the U.S. Army. As fate would have it, Jackie also met her soul mate, Mike during her military service. They were together for 28 years, and the repair needs around their home had accumulated. A neighbor tipped them off about HomeFront, so they applied. A little later, this past January, Mike was diagnosed with Stage 4 emphysema and COPD. Jackie took care of him until he passed one month later. In her words, “I spiraled into a deep depression. I would talk to no one.” No one, that is, other than the HomeFront representative who knocked on her door and said, “Jackie, we want to help. The community wants to help.” On our Spring-time HomeFront Day, Jackie looked out her window and saw what she described as a “beautiful sea of blue HomeFront t-shirts.” More than 70 helpers from hometown, St. Jeanne Jugan Church, wasted no time. Here are just a few of the gifts they delivered to Jackie:
- replaced 14 drafty old windows, thanks to Marvin of Enfield,
- repaired her rotting front porch and entry door,
- remedied failing gutters after addressing damaged fascia,
- made her kitchen usable again with ceiling and flooring repairs, new counters and appliances
- addressed floors in her bathroom and installed a new toilet,
- added a new insulated storm door,
- applied coats of paint and beautified her yard.
A beautiful sea of blue HomeFront t-shirts” in Jackie’s front yard
The experience moved Jackie to express this sentiment, “I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of the volunteers who took the time to help me in this difficult time in my life. I must say thank you from the bottom of my heart. One of Mike’s final wishes was to have my house a home again. The American flag flies proudly over my little, historic home. HomeFront gave us love, hope and a small miracle.”
— W. Michael Crouch (LCSW)
Long-time HomeFront House Captain and psychotherapist, Michael Crouch
As you know, HomeFront is blessed with volunteers from all walks of life. In celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month, we thought we’d ask one of our long-time volunteers about this link between a decent home and mental wellness. Michael Crouch has been a House Captain with Talmadge Hill Community Church for many years. In his other life, Michael has been a psychotherapist for decades. He co-founded the Fairfield County Trauma Response Team (FCTRT) the year before the tragedy at Sandy Hook. Their work is in the process of rolling out state-wide. When asked about the families who turn to HomeFront for help, Michael said, “A therapist can’t help much if the patient returns to a home full of chaos. If someone is living in a home that has problems, their mental health is going to be harmed. Those who live in homes that are not in good upkeep are likely to isolate vs. those who are proud of their homes.” Jackie’s sentiment amplifies the fact that it is not just what we do, but how we do it. That beautiful sea of blue HomeFront t-shirts restores faith in humanity — seeing that people do care and give of their time.
As a long-time volunteer, Michael takes a 360-degree view of HomeFront, highlighting the boost that volunteers get from fixing up a home. Here is a sampler of volunteers who experienced the HomeFront “helper’s high” this Spring.
As Michael reminds us, we have to pay attention to our mental health 12 months out of the year. Although Mental Health Awareness Month draws to a close, HomeFront will continue to do its part year-round. For any skilled volunteers, HomeFront is organizing our Critical Repair Projects (CPR) over the summer. You can contact Lou Valenti at LValenti@homefrontprogram.org to learn more about these “feel good” CPR projects.
We can also provide that boost of anticipation as we plan ahead for our Fall HomeFront Day — September 21st. If you are a part of a group that would like to have some smiles on your faces like the ones from this Spring, you can contact Sean O’Brien at
For every one family like Jackie, we have nine more who are anxious and feeling hopeless about the state of their homes. So many of our requests come by referral from social workers in our community. The most powerful way to bring peace of mind to our less fortunate neighbors is through a financial donation. We thank you for considering a gift of any amount, particularly as the cost of building supplies continues to challenge our mission. Your gift can also preserve the crucial role that programs like HomeFront play in bringing our community together. Wishing our friends and supporters wellness of every form this summer.
