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Passing out smiles
By Michael Morton/Daily News staff
Thursday, February 01, 2007 - Updated: 09:00 PM EST



FRANKLIN - You could call it their starter home.
Armed with a desire to channel volunteerism in Franklin and help their fellow residents, lifelong friends Matt Sousa and Paul Molla knew they wanted to start a community charity.

Their jump-start, however, did not come until last fall, when doctors diagnosed their old high school classmate Phil Henault with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease.

Seeking to provide the disabled Henault and his family with some financial help, another friend suggested renovating an unused part of the Henaults' Fisher Street home and renting it out. Sousa and Molla grabbed the idea and ran with it, despite some resistance from an appreciative but reluctant Henault and his wife, Rose Henault.

"I never took, I was always giving," Phil Henault, 39, said, a statement seconded by Sousa and Molla. "It was hard to swallow at first, but Phil's stubborn."

The couple eventually relented, as long as the project did not start until after the holidays. While Sousa and Molla waited, they came up with a name for their new charity, Random Smile Project, and registered it. Three weeks ago, they began renovating the rental section, a portion of the Henaults' 19th-century home that needed some work.

Sousa, Molla and a crew of volunteers stripped the walls to the studs and added insulation. In the coming weeks, they will install plaster, upstairs carpeting, and bathroom and kitchen tiles, among other upgrades. Rather than selling materials at cost, Atlas Insulation of North Scituate, R.I., insisted on donating them and supplying their own workers. Gilmore's of Walpole, The Dowling Corp. of Norfolk, National Lumber of Mansfield, and Ferguson/J.D. Daddario, Franklin Lumber and Classic Floor Coverings of Franklin also helped.

"It's really amazing the type of people in this town," said Rose Henault, a part-time assistant for a financial adviser. "I buy stock in thank you cards."

When the project is finished, Sousa and Molla will find a reliable renter for the two-bedroom unit. The family will use the money to pay for health insurance, as Phil Henault had to leave his job in April. The financial strain became apparent to their two young boys, with 10-year-old Phil Henault Jr. volunteering to give up playing football to save money.

"I said, 'The income from next door is going to help us,' " his mom explained.

Despite the hard work, Sousa and Molla said they and other volunteers have gotten more out of the project than have the Henaults. During the job, Sousa, the head of a mortgage company, and Molla, a full-time firefighter and contractor, have also worked on developing their charity. They have ordered T-shirts and sweatshirts with their logo to sell and are working out the kinks on a Web site, www.randomsmile.org.

Unlike larger charities, the friends hope to keep their overhead miniscule and plow all the money back into the community. Although more home projects are not necessarily in their future, they hope to recognize community servants such as teachers, provide clothing and other items to families in need, and get their children and other youngsters involved.

So far, six local merchants have joined a board of directors and numerous others have called to help. A fund-raiser is planned for Valentine's Day 2008; for now, checks can be made out to Random Smile Project and sent to PO Box 13, Franklin, MA 02038. Sousa can be reached at 508-728-7850 and Molla at 508-726-0829.

"No one's a millionaire," Sousa said. "We're just a bunch of people trying to do the right thing."

While Phil Henault said "it kills me not to be able to help," he is staying upbeat despite difficulties talking and moving his limbs, a result of the ALS destroying his muscle control.

"You've got to stay positive with this disease," Henault said. "I wake up every day not with a 'random' smile, but with a normal smile."

While Henault cannot participate, his wife hopes to join the charity's board of directors one day and represent them both.

"I'll be there," she said.

Michael Morton can be reached at mmorton@cnc.com or 508-634-7582.