Business Revitalization: Touching Hearts Home Care

“[The Neighborhood Community Development Fund team members] were really great. They were patient, they mentored me and they walked me through the process. I couldn’t ask for any better support than what they’ve given me to make this happen.” – Daphne Curges, founder, Touching Hearts Home Care.

Caring for Her Community

Touching Hearts Home Care is a non-medical home care program designed to help clients in the Greater Allegheny County region who need assistance with day-to-day living. “The goal is to service those who are physically disabled as an adult – as well as the senior population who are eligible for nursing homes, but would like to remain in their own homes,” said Curges.

Getting Her Business Off the Ground

Curges needed outside help to get her business started, but she was concerned about her credit. Her husband urged her to ask the Neighborhood Community Development Fund about financial assistance.

“I’m from New York, but my husband is a die-hard Pittsburgher,” said Curges. “He knew about Rich Newell and the Neighborhood Community Development Fund, and he pushed me to reach out to them. With this home care program, we want to make a big difference and help clients live independently with supports in place,” she continued.

The funding Curges received, with help from the Neighborhood Community Development Fund, enabled her to hire three new caregivers, along with adding crucial support staff to help her manage payroll, HR and more. She’s also currently working towards getting Touching Hearts licensed as a medical home care program, to help expand her customer base.

“When we talk about social determinants of health, we want to be able to reduce those barriers so that people can really improve the quality of their living,” said Curges. “Home care was one of the barriers of concern for them to really live the way they choose to live.” Thanks to business financial support from the Neighborhood Community Development Fund, Curges is making a true difference within the community.

Quick Facts

• Curges hopes to hire five more caregivers in the near future.
• Curges found the home care business by working in the healthcare industry as an administrative director for Allegheny Health Network.
• In 2018, she worked with an especially vulnerable population.
• This inspired her to create a facility that allowed these individuals to remain in their homes, while getting the care they needed to function.