By Curt Williams, Founder & Executive Director
If you have lived in the Houston area for very long, you are well aware of the life and work of Dr. Neil Frank. Dr. Neil and his wife, Velma, moved to Houston after he served 13 years as the Director of the National Hurricane Center, taking the position of Chief Meteorologist with KHOU, the CBS affiliate in Houston. What seeped through his nightly weather forecasts and his appearances during storm alerts, floods and hurricanes was a deep sense of responsibility and care.
So imagine my surprise when I looked through the glass panes of the door of The Refuge one evening in 1987 and saw Houston’s favorite weatherman staring back at me with a disarming smile. The Refuge was an outpost operated by Youth-Reach at 408 Westheimer, where six nights a week, we fed between 50 and 100 street kids. At that time, the Montrose area of Houston was notorious for its crime, including prostitution, drugs, and in that season, an out-of-control AIDS crisis. It was the center of Houston’s large gay community, and not the type of environment where you would expect to see Dr. Neil.
I unlocked the door and let him in, as it was about 30 minutes before we were to open. Though he hardly needed to, he introduced himself, telling me that he had watched the story on KHOU that evening and felt that he needed to come and see what we were doing. He shared that his family had been very blessed, but a recent situation had led him to know the Lord was pushing him out of his comfort zone. As the kids were let in, many recognized him and were very surprised when he rolled up his sleeves and helped serve the evening meal.
He later slid out to prepare for the 10 o’clock newscast, but we stayed in touch, and he later joined the board of Youth-Reach Houston. Many times, his advice and counsel have been priceless. His wisdom once saved Youth-Reach from a real headache and paved the way for the campus we now occupy and own. Dr. Neil and Velma have been our encouragers and our generous supporters for over 38 years, so it was surreal for me to hear that Dr. Neil had gone into hospice late last year. On Christmas Eve, our friend passed from his temporary to his permanent home in heaven, and after 26 days, his wife of 73 years followed him there.
Dr. Neil is known for many lifesaving innovations and advancements in the world of meteorology and weather forecasting, but his true legacy is in what and who he left behind. His family, friends, colleagues, and all of us here at Youth-Reach knew the man who revered the Lord Jesus Christ and never shied away from testifying to the faithfulness of his Savior. He and Velma were most certainly found faithful. Their mark on Youth-Reach is indelible and their impact profound. I am forever grateful.
