Steve & Francine greeted me warmly as I stepped inside their home. The first thing I noticed were their walls lined with family photos. “A wall for each decade,” was how Steve described his wife’s curation of memories.
The pictures showed moments full of joy and laughter by a family one could tell spent a lot of time together. They captured the jokester side of Steve – who was dressed up as Cap’n Crunch in a collage of photos. He made sure to point those out to me with a grin.
In 2024, their family is celebrating their 30th year of living in Myrtle Beach. They arrived here from Long Island to be closer to Steve’s aging parents. They drove down on Labor Day of 1994 in a little Nissan Sentra with their nine- and four-year-old daughters. They had one contact in the area, and with that, they started building a new life in a new place. Although it was far from home, it wasn’t Steve’s first time living in South Carolina.
Steve served his country in the US Navy. He was stationed in Charleston, on the USS Santa Barbara, in the 1970s. After retiring from active duty in 1981, Steve worked in home construction and served as a volunteer firefighter in Long Island. He shared with me how military and public service ran deep in his family history:
“Everyone in my family was either in the military or a police officer. Now my son is an officer in the area.”
Steve’s service did not end with the military and fighting fires. Steve taught the “Just Say No” program in Myrtle Beach area schools in the mid to late 90s. He talked passionately about the importance of connecting with kids about drug-abuse prevention at an early age. He taught the program to 3rd and 4th graders when his kids were in those grades.
It is quickly apparent that their kids are central to Steve and Francine’s life. They say they are most proud of who their children have become as adults, and they are proud of the life they built here despite their challenges.
Challenges are not something new to their family, however this year has uniquely challenged them in ways they couldn’t have imagined. Steve survived a stroke in January and is now using a wheelchair.
“I had to change the way I do everything. Mike [Billingsley] at Habitat has been a Godsend. The work that Habitat has done is going to give me back some independence.”
Francine shared they had heard of Habitat building houses but had no idea that we also do home repairs. Her daughter had encouraged her to call to find out more about what we do. Habitat for Humanity of Horry County was able to use special purpose funding for veterans to make their bathroom ADA accessible. We replaced their tub with a walk-in shower, added grab bars, and updated bathroom plumbing.
“Working with families like Steve & Francine is what makes my job so special. I get to serve amazing people and connect them with needed resources that improve their quality of life.” states Danielle Lewis Homeowner Services Specialist
At Habitat, we partner with deserving families to build strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter. Steve and Francine have a beautiful home full of love and memories. They needed their home to adjust as much as they had to their new life circumstances. Meeting Steve and Francine was a reminder of why our home repair program is so critical. Families like theirs are so incredibly deserving of our community’s practical support. They have poured their life into service, family, and investing in the next generation. Our team at Habitat, and our community at large, becomes better through partnerships like the one we’ve formed with Steve and Francine.
