As the owner of a Buckets and Bows maid service in Flower Mound, Debbie Sardone has spent years cleaning up other people’s messes.
But the mess that troubled her most was her own.
“I was just disappointed in myself,” Sardone said. “Just realizing that I could’ve helped someone, and I didn’t think to help them was enough motivation for me to get going.”
About 15 years ago, Debbie got a phone call from a woman who needed help cleaning her house.
Debbie told her how much it would be and the woman told Debbie she just couldn’t afford it. She had breast cancer, and the hospital bills alone were too much.
“She hung up the phone, and I missed an opportunity to give her the cleaning completely free,” Sardone said.
Debbie felt guilty and wished she could go back and do something. But, it was before the days of caller I.D., and she never did find out who that woman was.
Instead, she has spent the past 15 years atoning for that mistake.
Twelve years ago, Debbie started a non-profit called “Cleaning for a Reason,” providing free cleaning services for women with cancer.
Since then, more than a 1,000 companies nationwide have joined the cause, and together, they have given away more than $8 million worth of free cleaning.
Women like breast cancer patient Emily Wadkins couldn’t be more thankful.
“This helps so much more than you’ll ever realize, that you do this,” Wadkins told Sardone.
But Debbie says she’s the one who’s truly been blessed.
“When you begin to give and give and give, then you’ll be surprised at how much you get back in return, especially when you had no expectation," she said.
Sometimes, to make a difference, you need to get your hands dirty. And sometimes, all you have to do is answer the call.
For more information on “Cleaning for a Reason,” go here.