At its core, Hearts & Hammers is a group of volunteers who repair dwellings in their communities to ensure neighbors can remain safe and healthy within their homes.

Volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds and with varying levels of experience. Three decades ago, the South Whidbey group was spearheaded by “serial philanthropist” Lynn Willeford. In 2009, the Central Whidbey Hearts & Hammers organization was founded. North Whidbey followed in 2020. Each organization is a separate nonprofit run by an all-volunteer board of directors, but each follows the “cookbook”—a plan of action developed by South Whidbey in its early years.

To read more, visit Whidbey Life Magazine.