Frank Scott, Sr. has worn many hats over the years, but at his core, he is a man of faith, a husband, father, and grandfather. Recently marking forty-five years of marriage - a milestone that's unfortunately rare - he began our interview by proudly sharing this achievement, his face lit up with a beaming smile, setting a tone of warmth and pride for our conversation.
In a society that often prioritizes personal brands and individual success above all else, he stands out as an example of the profound impact that serving others can have on our lives. His deep-rooted commitments to serving others exemplify that true value lies in uplifting those around us. Frank demonstrates that community service transcends mere task completion; it's about forging meaningful relationships and fostering a spirit of collaboration and care for others.
"Everyone has value. And that value is appreciated more when you take it and offer it to someone else. I can appreciate myself a lot, but when I go and I do something for someone else, no matter how small it seems to me, it could be very big to someone else!"
The Impact of Returning to College Later in Life
Frank’s career and educational experiences have given him a unique perspective on the needs of his community. His advocacy efforts in his neighborhood and throughout Muncie, Indiana, are well-known. However, much of his most notable work occurred later in life.
He and his wife raised their family while he enjoyed a long career at a local transmission plant. When the plant closed, he seized the opportunity to return to college and earn a degree in human services. This academic pursuit, combined with his hands-on community work, revealed new insights:
"Getting into the community and seeing the needs from a different perspective of one who was in the community doing everything you can to make sure you're okay and then stepping out of it and looking at the community from the outside and seeing it for the first time. Until then, I didn't know there were so many kinds of needs."
This shift in perspective deepened Frank’s understanding of his community's dynamics and motivated him to strengthen his efforts in doing whatever it took to make a positive impact on the lives of those around him.
The Mentorship of Strong Male Role Models
Looking back, Frank more fully appreciates the impact of having strong male role models active in his community. Their collective mentorship and guidance played a crucial role in shaping his life.
"Growing up, we were fortunate to have elderly men in our church who took the young men under their wings and showed us how to do things. These men invested time in us. I remember sitting at Mr. Amon Roach’s feet, listening as he shared life lessons. I've always wanted to provide that kind of support and encouragement."
Frank's father, a bail bondsman, also influenced his perspective on helping others.
"Growing up and as a young adult, I always wanted to talk to and maybe help the guys my dad bailed out, but when my father passed away, I decided that maybe I needed to be working on the other end. Instead of getting people out of jail, what can I do to keep them from going to jail? My focus changed to getting ahead of the game and finding ways to prevent people from experiencing poverty, adopting negative mentalities, and getting into trouble. What can we do before they get there?"
Since then, his focus has evolved into multiple nonprofit board services, creating clubs for children that teach critical thinking, decision-making, and emotional control; volunteering with his neighborhood association, and serving with organizations that provide preventive measures and support for vulnerable populations.
His ongoing commitment to mentorship and proactive community support underscores his dedication to paying forward the lessons he learned from mentors who took the time to pass down lessons they learned to him.
Server Week: A Turning Point in Frank's Commitment to Community
Frank’s journey into community service began with a formative experience that shaped his perspective and deepened his commitment. During Server Week, a ministry initiative where volunteers engage in various community projects, Frank had a transformative realization:
"My first community engagement experience was during what's called Server Week. It’s where a ministry with hundreds of people goes out into different communities and serves for a week. They do projects like repairing or painting a house, yardwork, or maybe fixing a porch. Before that week, I had volunteered and handed out items, but truly engaging with the community—meeting people, talking to them, building relationships—this was a new experience for me. That was the first time I got into it and the more I did it, the more I understood how important it was not just to complete tasks but to connect with the people in the community I was serving."
This pivotal experience marked the beginning of Frank's dedicated involvement in community service. It taught him that genuine impact comes not only from the work done but also from the personal connections forged along the way. Since then, Frank has continued to embody this principle, striving to make meaningful contributions and build lasting relationships within his community.
Building Bridges: How the "Whitely Makeover" Strengthened Neighborhood Bonds
One of Frank’s favorite memories of service was called the "Whitely Makeover," a large-scale project that brought together diverse groups to address various needs within his community:
"We had seven areas that we divided our neighborhood up into, with about 20 blocks each, and thought, 'Why don't we do two or three projects in every area? We have ten churches in our neighborhood; why not invite these churches to be a part of this and then invite ten churches outside the neighborhood to partner with these ten churches in the neighborhood?' This hadn't been done before! For these projects, we asked the community what they needed, and we got so many projects coming in, like power-washing homes, cleaning out gutters, and cutting down bushes. Over the years, some people had just gotten overwhelmed, and things had gotten away from them, and many were seniors."
They partnered with twenty churches from every denomination and paired together to split up and work on various projects. The collaboration between churches and volunteers led to incredible results, but one particular neighbor's challenge stood out from the others:
"We were working on a senior lady's house and had finished everything off her list when one of the guys from High Street Methodist Church noticed that her window was also rotted and severely damaged. Even though we had already packed up and were ready to leave, we just couldn’t leave her like that. We knew we had other things to do at others' homes, but we had to help her."
They decided to go to Lowe’s, buy materials, and together, they repaired her window. "What it did for her probably couldn't compare to what it did for us. Working together and saying, ‘You know what, we're not going to leave her like this.’
"From that moment on, we adopted that mindset. When we went someplace and saw other things that needed to be repaired, we did it. That was the most powerful moment for me as far as community engagement and that's what keeps driving my passion today. I know I can't leave them like this!"
The relationships forged among people of different denominations and backgrounds were particularly meaningful to Frank. Some volunteers weren't regular churchgoers, yet the connections that formed were incredibly powerful. Over three hundred people from his neighborhood participated for the initial two weeks, but when the effort extended into a third week, over two hundred projects were completed. His reflections on the joy of service highlight its deep personal and communal rewards.
"It's almost like this is a part of my faith that had been missing. I mean you live according to what the word says, but what do you do for others? And then the feeling that you get once you help someone - this is what service is about! It's not for them, as much as it is for me."
The Whitely Makeover would later be recognized as one of the top neighborhood programs in the nation during their annual Neighborhoods, USA (NUSA) Conference.
Leadership Insights to Impact Your Community
1. Inclusive Community Service
Frank emphasizes the inclusivity of community service and encourages volunteers from different neighborhoods to join efforts, fostering collaboration and shared learning:
"Volunteer service doesn't always have to be done in your backyard."
2. Effective Volunteer Leadership
According to Frank, effective leadership involves aligning roles with volunteers' strengths and passions to enhance volunteer satisfaction and project effectiveness:
"Help people find out what their strengths and passions are
and then put them in those areas to try them out."
3. Understanding Community Needs
Frank stresses the importance of understanding community needs before taking action and advises listening to community members to ensure service efforts are relevant and sustainable:
"Build a relationship with the community before you start doing anything."
4. Empathy in Service
He believes genuine empathy is key to successful community engagement and advocates for involving the community in decision-making to create initiatives that truly address their needs:
"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
5. Sustainability Through Ownership
Frank also advises on the importance of community ownership for sustained impact and reminds us that including the community helps ensure that initiatives continue thrive even after volunteers have moved on:
"If they're not involved in the input and you just come over here and take
care of everything on your own; once you leave, it'll be hard
because they've got nothing invested in it."
Frank's journey illustrates the transformative potential of community service grounded in empathy, collaboration, and community ownership. His story serves as a powerful reminder that regardless of age or circumstance, each of us can make a meaningful impact by engaging in our communities and working together to foster lasting positive change. Let's be inspired by Frank's example to build bridges, cultivate relationships, and leave behind a legacy of service and compassion that extends far beyond ourselves.
More Resources
Click below to learn more about these Muncie programs close to Frank's heart:
Whitley Community Council (Frank's Neighborhood Association) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit serving the historically African American Whitely neighborhood in Muncie, Indiana. It focuses on education, health and wellness, and community safety initiatives to improve the quality of life for residents.
Muncie Industrial Revolving Loan Fund Board administers loans to assist manufacturing businesses with funding for equipment, real estate, and employees. Created in 1977, it is overseen by a seven-member board representing various community interests.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a U.S. nonprofit organization providing advocacy, education, support, and public awareness for individuals and families affected by mental illness. Founded in 1979, NAMI has around 1,000 state and local affiliates across the country.
Cradle to Careers Muncie is an educational attainment initiative aiming to have 60% of Delaware County residents ages 25+ obtain high-level certificates, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, or above. It adopts a framework to support youth from early childhood through their career.