The Transformation of Crittenden Road (Sept. 2024)

By Mark Zawacki

In the early days of the Homes with Heart campaign, we talked a lot about vision. It’s one thing to visualize what a home will look like; it’s another to see that work come to fruition. That’s where the facilities team at Heritage Christian Services has shined, taking the lead on bringing this vision to life.

“We know the people the agency supports and what their needs are,” said Tim DeFeo, director of facilities. “This knowledge informs every capital project we do, from renovations to rebuilds.”

The renovated house on Crittenden Road in Brighton will be home to the men who currently live on Stone Road in Pittsford. Like all homes in the campaign, Crittenden Road will be fully accessible for them through all phases of their lives, including end of life care if needed.

“When my team and I first stepped inside the home, it was like walking into a time capsule from the 1960s,” said DeFeo. It took months to gut the inside of the home before work could begin on modernizing it to the Heritage Christian Services standard.

DeFeo credits the morale and skillset of his team, and the hard work and generosity of the contractors brought in to assist them, with seeing the home through to completion. “It takes a village to see this work through,” said DeFeo. “Many of our partners donated services to the home, for as much as $85,000 worth of materials and labor.”

We thank the contractors including Douglas Electric, Kennedy Mechanical, Masny Heating, Rick Vinci Masonry and APD Architecture & Engineering. They helped us to achieve great possibilities for the people we serve.