For 25 years, Hammer & Nails has been more than a repair service, it’s been a source of hope for homeowners across Stark County. Through their programs, over 2,500 homeowners in Stark County have been helped. What started with a husband and wife team, Mike and Darlene Leghart, driven by faith and compassion, has grown into a community effort that keeps neighbors safe and independent.
GAF first partnered with Hammer & Nails in 2023. To date, that partnership has resulted in $21,500 in support for critical home repairs and accessibility projects across nine Alliance residences, enhancing quality of life for local families, strengthening our neighborhoods, and making it possible for people to stay in the homes they love.
As more families find themselves in need, Hammer & Nails is stepping up in Alliance, launching Alliance Kingdom Connections, which shows God’s love through allowing homeowners the freedom to age in place and to positively impact our neighborhoods. Alliance has always been a city rooted in community. But for many homeowners, especially widows, single parents, and families caring for multiple generations, keeping up with repairs can be overwhelming. Things like a wheelchair ramp, secure stairs, or working locks may seem small, but they’re often the change makers for living independently and restoring dignity.
Take Ethel and Prince Boykin, pictured here with a Hammer & Nails volunteer, longtime Alliance residents living on Social Security and disability benefits. They faced health challenges that made it difficult to move safely around their own home. When volunteers installed a wheelchair ramp, everything changed. “We felt a genuine compassion from others who wanted to help us embrace life,” they shared. “It means the world to know we are not forgotten.”
Hammer & Nails has a simple but powerful dream…that no homeowner ever has to wait for hope. With every project, they’re not only repairing houses but also strengthening neighborhoods and sharing God’s love, one family at a time.