On a cold December day in 2000, Jim and Janet Frazier's lives changed forever when their two daughters were involved in a car accident. Stephanie, 20, was killed, and Lindsey, 17, was critically injured.

While simultaneously grieving for Stephanie and holding vigil over Lindsey at the hospital, the Fraziers had no thought for their own basic needs. When a nurse came by to ask when they had last eaten, the distraught parents could not remember. The nurse immediately shared her dinner with them so they would not have to leave their daughter's bedside.

It was that simple act of kindness that led the Fraziers to establish a nonprofit foundation in Stephanie's name to help other families in their times of need. The Stephanie Marie Frazier Memorial Foundation sponsors the Network of Care, a volunteer group that provides meal assistance to families in crisis so that they can remain with their child.

The Fraziers did not establish the foundation seeking awards, but on Monday Janet was honored in the state Capitol as Woman of the Year for the Seventh Senate District in California.

"Oh, my gosh," said Janet. "I never in a million years thought this would happen to me. I just do what I do. My husband and daughter, we all do this together."

Photo courtesy of Post Street Productions

Jim, Janet and Lindsey Frazier pack snacks for families with loved ones who have been unexpectedly hospitalized in this screen shot from a Hallmark documentary on Network of Care.

The Network of Care began in 2004 with just one hospital. Today the program operates in 32 hospitals with 40 to 50 regular volunteers who bag and deliver the non-perishable food items to hospital-bound families.

"When we first started this, it was a way to heal and help others," said Janet. "The fact that a stranger would do something for us during that time was amazing. It was like a little piece of good, and I wanted other people to have that, too."

Michelle Mahoney, a producer for "New Morning," a nationwide cable show that airs on the Hallmark Channel, recently filmed a piece on the Network of Care, following the Fraziers through a day of fundraising, snack-bag filling and deliveries. The experience, said Mahoney, was amazing and inspiring.

"What struck me about this story is how something so tragic could end up having this ripple effect," said Mahoney. "I think we should all remember that all things, good and bad, can have these effects on those around us, and that kindness really does matter."

For the Fraziers, the future promises a whirlwind of activity as the foundation continues to grow. Keeping busy by helping others, said Janet, is the best way they know to honor Stephanie's memory.

"This started out for us as a way to heal," said Janet. "It takes you out of yourself by doing for others. Stephanie was the kind of person who was always helping her friends; she liked to help people. I know she would be very proud of us."

For more information on The Network of Care and how to help, call

584-4086.