My Why: Why I Chose to Serve Seniors and Their Families
I’ve always believed that how we serve others says a lot about who we are.
I grew up in the church, where the value of serving others was constantly instilled in me. From a young age, I had the opportunity to witness something that has stayed with me throughout my life: people who had very little were often some of the most generous people I knew. They gave their time, their energy, and their passion to help others—not because they expected anything in return, but because they genuinely wanted to make a difference.
They understood something I’ve come to believe deeply: an investment in another person is an investment in the community—and an investment in the community ultimately becomes an investment in all of us.
I remember seeing that spirit of service in all kinds of places. It might have been a community car wash, handing out meals during the holidays, or welcoming someone who was struggling into the community and showing them genuine brotherly love. What stood out to me wasn’t just what people were doing. It was how they did it.
They served with a smile.
They served with sincerity.
And they served with the hope that, even in some small way, what they were doing would positively impact someone’s life. Those experiences shaped the way I view service to this day.
Independence and Dignity Matter
I also grew up with two parents who both worked full time. From an early age, I understood the importance of independence and the dignity that comes with being able to live your own life, make your own choices, and contribute in your own way.
Because my parents were busy working and providing for our family, I learned early how to take care of myself. I learned responsibility,independence, and the confidence that comes from knowing you can handle things on your own.
But there is an important distinction: I was able to be independent because I was capable of being independent—not because I had no other choice.
That distinction has stayed with me.
There is a tremendous difference between someone choosing to do something for themselves because they are capable and someone being forced to do everything for themselves because the help they need isn’t there.
As we age, needing assistance with certain things shouldn’t mean losing the ability to make our own choices, losing our sense of purpose, or feeling like we are no longer capable. In fact, the right support can help preserve those very things.
That is one of the reasons I believe so strongly in in-home care. Good care shouldn’t take away someone’s independence. It should help protect it.
Why In-Home Care?
I chose to serve seniors and their families because I believe there is something incredibly meaningful about helping someone remain in the place they know and love—their own home.
Home is more than four walls.
It’s where memories were made. It’s where families gathered around the table. It’s where routines became traditions, holidays became memories, photographs captured pieces of life, and countless ordinary moments became meaningful simply because they happened there.
For many people, home represents a lifetime of experiences. It’s familiar. It’s personal. It’s theirs. Being able to help someone remain in that environment, surrounded by the things, places, and memories that have shaped their life, is a responsibility I don’t take lightly. And when additional help is needed, I don’t believe the goal should simply be to do things for someone.
The goal should be to help them continue doing as much as they can, for as long as they can, while providing support where they need it.That’s where I believe truly meaningful caregiving begins.
Service Is Personal
For me, Touching Hearts at Home isn’t simply a business.
It’s an opportunity to put values I’ve carried with me for most of my life into practice.
The same spirit I saw growing up—the willingness to give your time, serve others, build community, and genuinely care about the person in front of you—is the spirit I want to bring to the families we serve.
I want our caregivers to understand that what they do matters.
A conversation can matter.
A helping hand can matter.
A familiar face can matter.
Showing up consistently can matter.
And sometimes, the seemingly smallest acts of kindness can have an impact that lasts much longer than we realize.
Our Commitment to Families
My hope is that when a family welcomes a Touching Hearts at Home caregiver into their home, they don’t feel like they’ve simply hired someone to complete a list of tasks. I want them to feel like they’ve welcomed someone who genuinely cares.
Someone who takes the time to know the person they’re serving—not just their schedule or their care needs, but their personality, their stories, their preferences, and the things that make them who they are.
Someone who understands that a caregiver’s presence can mean more than getting through the day’s checklist. Someone who understands that caregiving is about much more than providing assistance—it’s about serving another person well.
It’s about showing patience when something takes a little longer.
It’s about listening to a story you’ve heard before because you know it matters to the person telling it.
It’s about preserving dignity when someone needs help with something they once did completely on their own. It’s about being dependable enough that a family can breathe a little easier.
And it’s about remembering that every person we serve has lived a full life, built relationships, overcome challenges, created memories,and has a story worth knowing. That’s the kind of care I want Touching Hearts at Home to represent.
Not simply care that gets the job done.
Care that makes someone feel seen, valued, respected, and cared for.
That distinction is important to me—and it’s at the heart of why I chose to do this.
To Serve Is to Love
At the end of the day, this comes back to what I was taught growing
up. Serving others isn’t about recognition. It isn’t about convenience. And it certainly isn’t about simply checking a box. It’s about seeing a need and choosing to step toward it. It’s about giving your time, your attention, and your heart to another person. It’s about recognizing the dignity and value in every individual and treating them accordingly.
That’s the spirit I want to carry into Touching Hearts at Home.
I want the families we serve to know that when they invite us into their lives, they’re inviting in people who understand that this is about more than care. It’s about connection. It’s about dignity. It’s about
trust. And ultimately, it’s about serving others well.
That is my why.