Community rebuilds home for 73-year-old retired nurse after devastating fire

FROSTPROOF, Fla. — A Frostproof woman who spent more than three decades caring for others is now receiving support of her own after a fire destroyed her home a few months ago.

Valerie Hall, 73, says she lost everything in the blaze — including her clothing, personal belongings, and the home she lived in for nearly a decade.

“I didn’t have any clothes left,” Hall said, recalling the moment she sifted through the remains of the fire.

Hall is a retired civil service nurse who served Navy families in Guantánamo Bay, Jamaica, and Lake Wales before spending 10 years working with Native American communities in Alaska. She moved to Frostproof nine years ago to care for her mother and has remained an active part of the community ever since.

But when a fire tore through her home and triggered a propane explosion, Hall says she’s lucky to be alive.

“I just kept saying thank you Jesus, because when the gas and the propane blew… it blew through my bedroom wall,” she said.

Local businesses step in with a Christmas surprise

After learning about Hall’s situation, Tim Williams — owner of S&W Supply — stepped in to help. Williams and a team of partners, including Hulbert Homes and Right Way Plumbing, selected Hall as this year’s recipient for their Kitchen for Christmas program, an annual tradition that surprises one homeowner with a holiday home makeover.

But Hall is receiving far more than a kitchen.

When Williams arrived to surprise her, he announced that crews would be remodeling her entire home — including a new bedroom, patio, garden, an accessibility ramp, and central heating.

“It’s ready for us to make her home complete,” Williams said.
“Our first goal is to get you some central heat now.”

Hall, who is still recovering from hip surgery, burst into tears when crews delivered the news.

Volunteers, contractors, and neighbors have rallied around Hall, donating materials, time, and labor. Many had never met her before the fire — but say her lifetime of service inspired them to get involved.

Hall calls the volunteers “angels.”

“They are all angels,” she said. “It’s looking way up. It’s the star at the top of the tree.”

A Christmas she won’t forget

Hall says this season will be one of gratitude, healing, and hope as she watches her new home take shape.

This is the 20th year local partners have gifted a homeowner with a holiday renovation through the Kitchen for Christmas program.

For Hall, it’s a blessing she says she’ll never forget.