When Dave Frank started working at Christian Relief Services, he did not know he would be working for 30+ years.
That journey began in the summer of 1995 when Dave was offered a job by a friend who operated a carpet business in partnership with Christian Relief Services, which operated out of the Christian Relief Services warehouse on Telegraph Road.
It wasn’t long before Dave began making himself useful, assisting Neil Krizek and Christian Relief Services employee Mark Latta in the warehouse, and was ultimately hired in August of that year.
“Neil has hired a new assistant, David Frank,” reported Gene Krizek in his President’s Report at the October 21, 1995, Christian Relief Services board meeting. “As we face a heavy holiday mailing period, this capability is especially rewarding and appreciated.”
At that time, Dave had no expectations or intentions of working at Christian Relief Services for more than 30 years, saying, “When I started working here, I only planned to work here for two or three years, then I was going to look for a ‘real’ job.”
Dave worked as a logistics specialist/warehouse manager to manage Americans Helping Americans®, Bread and Water for Africa®, and Running Strong for American Indian Youth® Gift-In-kind donations shipments.
Throughout all those years, his wife, Diane, was thrilled that he had found that ‘‘real’’ job with a steady income, as opposed to the “feast or famine” uncertainty of owning his own landscaping service.
She, and their two children, Emily and Douglas, and later his six grandchildren, supported him during his long career at Christian Relief Services, even with it meant traveling such as when he went to Montana to rehab a building for a Running Strong partner program, where he did drywall, tile work and built a sign for the entrance for a week.
That support also included when, every year, for around 20 of those 30 years, he was gone for a week on the Running Strong tour to the Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River reservations, where he was an essential member of the team – always there to assist tour members with their luggage, and much more.
In fact, it was that experience that he appreciated the most, which provided him “the opportunity to see the world differently.
“There are so many bad things in the world, but there are so many more good things – so many good people working to make things better for others, which of course includes the people of Christian Relief Services.”
He especially appreciated the opportunity to see the Running Strong programs in action, and more recently on trips with Steve Hunt to visit Americans Helping Americans’ partners, including Big Creek People in Action in West Virginia, Appalachian Ministries of the Smokies in Tennessee, Labor of Love Mission in Virginia, and Cumberland Mountain Outreach and Want2Work programs in Kentucky.
He described his “funniest” encounter (which was not so amusing at the time) was when he and Steve drove a 30-year-old school bus from Christian Relief Services HQ in Alexandria to the Oyate Teca Project in Kyle, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (a nearly 1,600-mile, 24-hour trip) in 2017, and the bus broke down not once, but twice.
On the Reservation, when Dave asked a resident for assistance, he initially thought he was angry that the disabled bus was blocking the highway, “I thought he was going to kick my ass.”
However, the man’s response was to ask him where he was from, and when Dave replied, Running Strong, he said, “You’re good people – you gave my sister a well.”
On those trips, Dave would jam out to his favorite “classic” rock bands and artists, including Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Guess Who, the Steve Miller Band, James Taylor, Eric Burdon & War, Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin, as well as to the “golden age” of country music from the 1980s and 90s, including George Strait, Tracey Lawrence, Johnny Cash and Conway Twitty.
When he wasn’t busy in the warehouse shipping in-kind items across the country, and around the world, or traveling across the country for Christian Relief Services, his hobbies include woodworking – such as making hardwood shelving from walnut and purple heart wood for Dianne and cradles for his grandchildren.
His other love is riding motorcycles, acknowledging, however, “I don’t do that much anymore,” but noting that he’s ridden across the country on several occasions over the years from Maryland to Washington state to Redland, California, Clovis, New Mexico, and through Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, and back twice, with a trip to Boise, Idaho as well. His longest trip was for six weeks, averaging hundreds of miles a day. His single longest ride took place in 1980 when he rode his motorcycle from Clovis to Louisville, KY, stopping only for gas and making the 1,100+ mile ride in 16 hours, earning him the title of “iron butt” for riding a motorcycle 1,000 miles in less than 24 hours.
And what kept him at Christian Relief Services for those 30 plus years?
“I thought what Christian Relief Services is doing is worthwhile.
“I saw the difference the programs we’re making in Appalachia, in Africa and throughout Indian Country, as well as in Eastern Europe, such as the Lithuanian Mercy Lift,” which supported hospitals by providing medicines and medical supplies to the then-struggling country.
In fact, through the Lithuania Medical Outreach Program, among the many accomplishments, Christian Relief Services created a re-agent fund for hospitals to receive chemical re-agents for diagnostic testing. We provided funding for re-agents to 10 hospitals, located in several Lithuanian provinces, for more than 19,000 blood tests to be provided to people in 2008 alone.
Specifically, Dave stated: “I liked that there were no day-to-day tasks, but there was always something to do – such as breaking down inventory, loading and unloading shipping containers, packing “less than truckloads” which required intricate packing.
“As long as it’s not paperwork, I’m good.”
He described the most personally rewarding aspects of his years at Christian Relief Services was gathering medical supplies from the University of Virginia’s MERCI (Medical Equipment Recovery of Clean Inventory) program, which he would then inventory and ship to hospitals and health centers in sub-Saharan Africa, where they would be put to good use to treat others, and literally help to save lives.
And, of course, there was always Gene’s kind heart and compassion for others, which Dave admired and respected.
“How do you express that in words?
“He worked hard on this mission, and he believed strongly in what he did.
“I believe in him and his commitment – I always knew he was doing all he did to actually help others.
“I never once thought he was doing this just to make himself feel good – but to help others feel better.”
“He was always the first one in, and the last one out.”
And in the simplest and most heartfelt way, Dave added, “Gene was just a good guy.
“He was a good person with a big heart.”
And when asked what his plans are for the next 20 years following his retirement from Christian Relief Services, Dave responded in his usual wry manner – “Hopefully, I’ll still be alive in 20 years.”
In the short term, he’s hoping to have time to enjoy reading books for pleasure by authors including Tom Clancy and Louis L’Amour and “pick up traveling as a hobby,” with his first big post-retirement trip being a cruise with Diane through the Panama Canal in January.
His plans include, in the not too distant future, taking a vacation to Hawaii – the only state in the U.S. he has yet to set foot in -- with Diane, and as he’s never traveled across the Atlantic to Europe, he’d like to visit Ireland, Italy, and Greece in particular.
Ultimately, “I don’t want to worry about anything and just relax with my wife – I enjoy my wife’s company.”
At Christian Relief Services, we have been inspired by Dave's incredible journey from a dedicated helper to a vital force behind the success of our Gift and in-kind programs. We are truly grateful for his contributions and excited for him as he embarks on this new chapter of retirement. Wishing him endless joy and adventure ahead!
