We’re excited to share that Hearts & Hammers is featured in Ace Hardware’s Heartware Stories series! This story highlights the impact of our work and the power of community-driven home restoration.
Through our partnership with Marvin Home Center, an Ace Hardware store, and Marvin’s corporate team, we’ve expanded our impact to Warroad, Minnesota. In 2024, we launched a pilot program that resulted in four major home improvement projects for homeowners in Northern Minnesota. With support from Marvin, we’re able to provide volunteers, materials, and logistical assistance, helping senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, and veterans in Warroad continue living safely and independently in the homes they love.
Warroad, Minnesota, is a small, vibrant city located on the shores of Lake of the Woods, near the Canadian border. Known as “Hockeytown USA,” it has a rich hockey heritage and is home to Marvin, a major employer in the region. Warroad offers a close-knit community, outdoor recreation, and a strong tradition of supporting its residents through initiatives like Hearts & Hammers.
Lois and Edwin are two Warroad residents who received help from Hearts & Hammers. After spending time in a local senior living center, their home needed restoration, including new windows, siding replacement, and fresh paint.
“It’s hard to believe that you can gather up a bunch of people that are so friendly and so willing to come and work for you… not even knowing us,” said Edwin. “It was wonderful.”
“There’s no way that we can thank them enough. It’s just so nice that they would do that,” said Lois. “And it makes you want to volunteer for whatever you can do, too.”
Hearts & Hammers and Marvin share a commitment to supporting homeowners in Warroad, rooted in the belief that everyone deserves to feel safe and comfortable in their home. “Helping people to stay in their homes and enjoy being there… it’s just what we should all do,” said Kim Lawler, Manager of Giving and Social Impact at Marvin.
Watch the video and see how volunteers, sponsors, and dedicated community members come together to make a difference!
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