We’re excited for you to meet Linda Smith Frank, a former WARM Place family and a dedicated supporter! After attending The WARM Place with her children, Linda thought of the creative idea to design and sell t-shirts as a way to both remember her husband and give back to The WARM Place. We asked Linda to share some of her story with us.
Tell us a little bit about you and your family.
My family is big and mostly in the Fort Worth area. My husband and I have 4 sons (Isaac, Sam, Nate and Lincoln), and 2 daughters (Savannah and Brooklyn). Savannah is married to our son-in-law, Bradley, and they have 2 boys, Daniel and Bennett (grandbabies!). Nate is currently serving in the Navy.
How did you initially get involved with The WARM Place?
We got involved with The WARM Place in 2012 when my kids and I lost their father, Dan Smith, to melanoma.
Why did you choose to start raising funds for The WARM Place through your t-shirt fundraiser?
The anniversaries are hard and around the 2nd anniversary of Dan’s death, I wanted to do something positive to remember him, and came up with doing a t-shirt fundraiser. Dan was so loved that I wanted to involve our family and friends in something to honor Dan in a unique way.
Tell us what inspired you to regularly support The WARM Place through your annual fundraisers?
The t-shirt fundraiser became kind of a tradition for us, and it was important to me to try and give a little back to The WARM Place because of how important they were in our family’s journey.
Could you share a favorite story or memory about your involvement with The WARM Place?
I’m sure my kids have their own memories of The WARM Place, but my best memories are of being in the circle of friends I made while at The WARM Place. Parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents all bringing our children for help and being able to share our stories and support each other. Grieving together, crying together and even laughing together. It was such a lifeline for me.
What would you tell someone who is thinking about getting involved?
I would tell someone thinking about getting involved that time or resources given to The WARM Place are an investment that truly makes a forever difference. Children and families who are navigating grief like our family did need a place to process, be understood, be cared for and begin to heal.
When asked if there was anything else she would like to share, Linda replied “I’m forever grateful for The WARM Place❤️”… and WE are so grateful for Linda’s ongoing support! Linda continues to tell others about The WARM Place’s mission, and she has become a wonderful advocate for other WARM Place families by sharing her story. Thank you for keeping The WARM Place close to your heart, Linda, and a big thank you to ALL of our donors!
If you are interetsed in learning more about the many ways you can support or get involved with The WARM Place, click here.
