MOUNT DORA, Fla. — A professional musician by day, a hero who helps the less fortunate by night. Matt Shenk's musical talents were noticed by the founder of the Give Hope Foundation, and soon he was playing his music at the event's yearly galas.
- Matt Skenk recalls how grateful the boy was
- The Mount Dora home needed a complete remodeling
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Shenk has gone beyond the music, by directly helping those in need.
He agreed to perform for free at the foundation's yearly gala event, which he is played for the last 10 years. It was not long before Shenk got hooked on helping others.
"Their passion and their drive is unmatched and so it's just something that I wanted to be a part of," he said.
A recent assignment sent Shenk to a home in Mount Dora. It belonged to a grandmother who was taking care of her daughter's family, including a little boy who has cancer.
"I went out to measure the floors to see if we could do a little project. What I found is the house needed a lot more than floors," he said.
By a lot more, Shenk means the house needed to be gutted. He knew it would take a lot of work, and a lot more money to fix, but that is when he met Desmond, the little boy with cancer.
"When I showed up the first time to measure the floors, he sprinted from the front door to my car, jumped in my arms, never met me before," he recalled.
And that sealed the deal. Rotted wood, old furniture, walls, windows and anything else that did not pass Shenk's inspection got tossed to the curb with the rest of the garbage.
Even a dead tree in the backyard got axed — literally. However, the transformation was amazing.
In only two-days' time, Shenk and his small army of volunteers completed a home makeover for a very happy family.
"Their appreciation and gratitude was over the top and more than anyone could ever want or hope," he said.
Gratitude is something Shenk receives every time he performs, but the passion is priceless knowing what he and his group did for a 2-year-old boy named Desmond.