Healthy homes, healing hearts: A community comes together for Hilda Gilbert

In Manchester, Kentucky, a powerful story of compassion and community unfolded as mission groups from Nashville, Florida, and Louisville joined forces to support Hilda Gilbert, a 76-year-old widow and longtime member of the AdventHealth family.

The outreach was part of AdventHealth’s Healthy Homes campaign, a program designed to improve living conditions for residents in need. “It’s about making the home healthy for a healthy resident,” said David Watson, Executive Director of Plant Services at AdventHealth Manchester, who led the initiative with hands-on care and heartfelt dedication.

Hilda’s connection to AdventHealth runs deep. Her late husband, Pascal — known as Eddie to hospital staff — worked in the housekeeping department for many years. Together, Hilda and Eddie shared 48 years of marriage, building a life rooted in love, faith, and service. Since Eddie’s passing four years ago, Hilda has continued to live in the home they shared, though it had begun to show signs of age and disrepair.

After a recent fall left Hilda in a wheelchair, her home needed urgent updates to ensure safety and accessibility. That is when the mission group stepped in. Volunteers cleaned and replaced her gutters, refreshed her backyard, repaired landscaping, and installed a new ramp to make her home more accessible. They also built a custom gate to keep her dog safely on the porch.

One of the most meaningful touches came from reclaimed wood — maroon and grey pieces salvaged from her original porch, painted years ago by Eddie. These boards were used to build the new gate, offering Hilda a tangible reminder of her husband’s love and craftsmanship.

Photos from the project show David Watson and volunteers working side by side, building, painting, and sharing stories. The energy was joyful, the mission clear. This effort was not just about home improvement. It was about honoring a legacy, restoring dignity, and living out AdventHealth’s mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ through whole-person care.