The worthwhile punishment for good deeds
Hammer & Heart embraces the cost of building a better community
Ben Fortson
Guest contributor
The Valley Echo
February 2, 2022
Chris Blair (foreground) and Jay Barham replace a rotted landing for a Hammer & Heart client. The local nonprofit organization, which was founded last year, relies on volunteers and donations to help Swannanoa Valley homeowners maintain safe and livable in their homes. Photo courtesy of Hammer & Heart
“No good deed goes unpunished.”
Perhaps the essence of irony, I’m fascinated by this tongue-in-cheek phrase. Often attributed to Oscar Wilde—or occasionally, the Bible—the frequently miscredited quote seems to capture the heart of our subliminal good-deed-fear: “What is my gesture of sacrifice going to cost me?”
Usually stated as a sarcastic, existential one-liner, there is a certain level of nervous laughter —drawn from memory—that attends its utterance. You know what I am talking about.
You rescue a homeless cat and the next morning discover your favorite armchair is torn to smithereens. You recommend an employer to a friend and she ends up hating the job, and avoiding you for decades. You generously decide to cut the neighbors lawn while they are on vacation and unintentionally obliterate their favorite perennials, landing in the neighborhood dog house.
No good deed goes unpunished. Everyone has their own, richly ironic case-in-point. Perhaps no more so than the collective group of people who intentionally pursue good deeds.
Embracing the price of helping neighbors
Ask any nonprofit organization worth their weight in kind-heartedness—locals Bounty & Soul, Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry, Full Moon Farm, William’s Place and Goodwill come to mind—and they will tell you, in no uncertain terms, “no good deed goes unpunished.” Of course, they won’t use this exact language, but in their heart-of-hearts, they know: “If you want to improve the world, there’s a price to pay.”
As the new nonprofit in town, Hammer & Heart has faced its fair share of good deed retaliations. Some have come in the form of government forms: “Yes, you must fill-out this 46-page form to become a federally recognized 501c3.” Others have taken the shape of lengthy dialogues on exceedingly fascinating topics, like by-laws and insurance rates. Some have even been visited upon it late at night—as the part-time Director, I had no idea nonprofits caused insomnia.
Of course, this sort of discourse may be a bit unnerving. By now, you may be asking yourself, “why are you telling me about Hammer & Heart and why should I risk my neck for it?”
Let’s talk about that.
In the throes of a booming real estate market, Hammer & Heart pursues a forgotten population: those who can’t afford to maintain their homes.
Often living amongst contemporary neighborhoods, these folks have been unable to keep their residence in a safe or livable condition. Likely to be lower income families, the elderly or disabled—and more likely, living under the radar—they deal with urgent repair needs they are unable to address, such as leaky roofs, hazardous wiring, failing HVAC systems, deteriorating entranceways and/or accessibility issues.
By addressing these predicaments, Hammer & Heart is hoping to help Swannanoa Valley residents stay in their homes; keep them safe; improve their quality of life; protect their investment and give homeowners a big boost in confidence (nobody feels good about living in a dangerous home).
Why go out on a proverbial do-good limb for Hammer & Heart?
Judd Dougherty pressure washes a home for Swannanoa Valley nonprofit organization Hammer & Heart. Photo courtesy of Hammer & Heart
Consider ‘Carl’
Recently introduced to a local resident we’ll call “Carl” by a former employer, Hammer & Heart found him living in an older home with no heat, no insulation, outdated wiring, damaged siding, a decaying roof and in need of accessibility improvements.
During a recent snowstorm, Carl—as usual—huddled in one of the bedrooms, cranked up the space heaters and stayed covered-up. Setting his alarm to avoid tripping the breaker, he switched the over-heated extension cord to another outlet every few hours.
Hammer & Heart is working to keep Carl in his home. A few other factors may be pertinent here:
• Approximately 15% of the Swannanoa Valley lives below the poverty level. There are many “Carls.”
• 99% of the people struggling to make ends meet aren’t slackers. Life—and age—have tossed them a few curveballs and they are doing the best they can. All our clients are vetted and prioritized according to financial need, disability, age and circumstance.
• Based on our initial projects, an intervention—requiring paid tradesmen and/or volunteers—involves numerous repairs. A typical project, like Carl’s, can easily cost upwards of $10,000, and as resources come in, they quickly depart.
• Generous donors have paved the way to help folks like Carl. During our first year, over $25,000 in donations, $2,000 in contractor discounts and 56 hours in volunteer labor helped Hammer & Heart address accessibility issues, leaky roofs and general rot.
Hammer & Heart is one of many nonprofits dedicated to making a difference in our beautiful valley. A cost-benefit analysis—weighing existential one-liners like “no good deed goes unpunished” against neighbors like Carl—seems a bit silly. I mean, who wouldn’t want to help Carl? But the reality is… there is a real price to pay for improving the world.
For Hammer & Heart board members, it’s putting in long hours and striving to be prudent managers. For contractors willing to help, it’s rearranging priorities and occasionally sacrificing income. For volunteers, it’s manual labor, fundraising, stuffing envelopes, database entry and giving-up free time. For donors, it’s relinquishing hard-earned cash.
Based on the responses from those we’ve served—significant improvements in safety; a substantial reduction in discomfort, stress and fear; a renewed interest in aging-in-place… and a great appreciation for neighbors who care for them—I’m guessing, it’s been worth the price.
Please give generously and regularly to local nonprofits. Your gifts, large or small, will have a huge impact on the life of Carl… or one of his fine neighbors.
Ben Fortson is the executive director for Hammer & Heart. The Swannanoa Valley-based nonprofit organization, which was inspired by the work of Black Mountain Handyman founders Mark and Kenda Mullert, was established in 2021. Its mission is to provide urgent repairs for local homeowners who are unable to maintain safe and livable conditions in their homes. To learn more about Hammer & Heart, including volunteer opportunities, requests for assistance and donation information, visit hammerandheartwnc.org.