Celebrating the Impact of Volunteers
April 20 — After a Winter that felt truer to New England standards, we are excited to welcome the Spring, HomeFront’s favorite season. Thanks to the response from our end-of-year appeal, we were able to make quite a few homes warmer and safer this winter. We would like to bring you right to their doorsteps.
One of our preferred ways to kick off the Spring is to celebrate National Volunteer Appreciation Week. As a treat to our friends, we’d like for you to get to know this year’s Volunteer Keystone Awardee: Bill Fitzpatrick.
And, last but not least, we wanted to give you a sneak peek into our rapidly approaching Spring HomeFront Days. So, let’s get to it!
HomeFront’s Mission Busts Out the Parka
With 1,000 requests for help, we were not about to allow a bitter winter to keep us from making homes warmer and safer this Winter. Take for example Jean. This Bridgeport resident was the first of her siblings to own a home. This is where she took care of her mom and grandmother until they passed. Unfortunately, fate dealt Jean with a car accident. Now in her 70s, Jean was shivering in her home due to old, drafty windows. She was an ideal candidate for our Critical Pro Repair (CPR) effort. With support from our donors and the Near & Far Aid Association, we were able to send skilled staff members to install eight energy-efficient windows for Jean.
An image of these stairs from an applicant further west looked like something out of a horror film. Norma is a 78-year-old woman who was born in a Waterbury home that has become very dangerous. She had two sets of stairs that were an enormous liability. End of year donations sent two HomeFront staff to overhaul both stairs and add new railings in addition to installing grab bars, repairing a ceiling and delivering smoke detectors. Check out the after photos below.
Since we receive so many cries for help from the Greater Hartford area, this seemed like another deserving stop for our Winter CPR projects. Josephine is a woman in her 80s. Her East Hartford home was built by a cousin who emigrated from Italy many years ago. It has held up well, but Josephine reached out to us when she was unable to use her bathroom. Smiles like this from Josephine are exactly what HomeFront support makes possible, restoring some dignity to her life.
Keystone (noun):
a central stone at the summit of an arch, locking the whole together.
Meet 2025 Volunteer Keystone Awardee: Bill Fitzpatrick
Bill Fitzpatrick on the left with his team's beneficiary last year.
If the world ever starts to make you cynical, all you have to do is hang out with a HomeFront volunteer and you instantly feel better about the world. That goes double for this year’s Keystone Awardee, Bill Fitzpatrick.
This is Bill’s 23rd year of volunteering with HomeFront. HomeFront’s good fortune began when Bill saw a flyer at his church. He joined up with St. Anthony Church, then in Litchfield. A painting contractor by trade, Bill concluded he could help lead a group from his home church, St. Mary Magdalen of Oakville. Since then, Bill has led groups of volunteers numbering 100 at times from his church, now known as Holy Disciples Parish. A few years in, Bill decided that he wanted to be more involved with the process year-round. So, he jumped at the opportunity to join our network of home evaluators. We got a chance to catch up with Bill in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Week.
HF: What was it that instilled the importance of volunteering in you?
Bill: It comes from my entire family. My aunt was head of Catholic Family Services. Many of my aunts are teachers. My sister has been with the Exceptional Children’s Foundation in Los Angeles. I graduated from college as a Certified Social Worker. The main reason I love to help people is that my life has been so blessed and amazing, and, in gratitude, I need to give back.
HF: What is it about HomeFront that keeps you coming back?
Bill: Probably the friendships that I have developed with all our volunteers who love helping people.
And, I love doing the home evaluations! One of the first questions in the evaluation is ““hat does your home mean to you?” Most of the time we both break down in tears because their responses come from the heart. You can feel and see the love they have for their home.
The most rewarding and yet saddest part for me is parting at the end of a project. After a long day’s work, the beneficiary is so grateful. We wind up crying in each other’s embrace.
HF: Is there one project that stands out for you over 20+ years?
Bill: One applicant had basketball-sized holes in his bath and pantry ceiling. The house was black with soot. He had no hot water. When I did my evaluation, what stuck out at me was that he was a veteran. His name also was Bill and he was in his 70s. We shared this story with a local business of by the name of J.W. Webb and we walked out of our meeting with a donated hot water heater. We installed the hot water heater that morning. I remember Bill was so excited, he jumped up and started taking off his shirt, announcing he was going to take a shower. We screamed, “Wow, you need for us to get out of here first. We don’t need to witness this.” I went home that night and upon taking my shower, I turned on just the cold water. I dare everyone to try it. How the homeowner did it for two years boggles my mind.
(Front) Bill, a Waterbury veteran, surrounded by his hot water heater installers.
With the new hot water heater in place, Bill's team focused on the exterior.
One of the volunteer teams led by Bill and his fellow organizers.
HF: That is definitely one of our program highlights too. And, soon after your group came to his home and completely transformed it (images above). Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Bill: When I am asking for volunteers, I point out that many say they learn so much watching or helping other skilled workers, so it is a learning experience. It could be installing a storm door or replacing a window. After they see how it is done, they realize, “I can do that.”
If your idea of celebrating National Volunteer Week is to share some of your time and talents with us this Spring, Summer or Fall, check out our website. For more information, you can also contact Sean O’Brien.
Kicking Off Our 36th Annual Spring HomeFront Days
Bill will be in solidarity with 600 other volunteers this May fixing up 20 homes across 17 CT towns and cities. For three of our volunteer groups, this will be their 25th year with HomeFront:
- Newtown Lions Club
- St. Edward the Confessor Church, New Fairfield
- St. Jeanne Jugan Parish, Enfield
We wish all of our volunteers a safe and rewarding day of giving back. Our Spring HomeFront Days are a major step on our goal to revitalize 3,300 homes assisted in program history. Building material prices remain high and we are determined to keep that from curbing the amount of help we can provide. If you haven’t already, we thank you for considering a donation of any amount that can help us. We can’t wait to share the difference we continue to make together in upcoming e-newsletters and “on the socials.” As many of our volunteers say, “Happy HomeFront Day”—the best day of the year!
