For Denyse Mackey and her family, staying on top of their health is crucial, whether that’s eating the right food or checking in with doctors.

“He was full of heart and always full of hope, despite his health issues,” said Mackey, who last year, lost her husband Warren Mackey. He was 54 and had battled heart disease for 10 years.

But Warren Mackey still made a big impact with his work in churches, giving back to the community and helping younger generations.

“His spirit was so alive that people didn’t really realize that he was sick, because he didn’t come off that way, and he really just wanted to live life to the fullest every single day,” said Madison Mackey, Warren’s daughter.

After his passing, Denyse Mackey and her children wanted to continue his work and legacy. So on April 15, Warren Mackey’s birthday, they established a nonprofit called the Warren & Denyse Mackey Foundation. The group provides educational scholarships, youth program development, and heart and cancer initiatives.

“He always had this attitude of 'don’t wait to need them to know them.' And he knew everybody. He wanted to help everybody,” Denyse Mackey said. “It didn’t matter who it was.”

After months of giving away scholarships and help underserved communities, they are now focusing on the third pillar.

On Feb. 1, the one-year anniversary of Warren’s passing, the foundation is launching Heart of Hope, a faith-based, community-wide wellness campaign. Partnering with the American Heart Association, local churches and Albany Medical Center, they are advocating the importance of health screenings and organ donation.

“For us, this is really about a new way reaching out into the community,” said James Kellerhouse, Albany Medical Center vice president of philanthropy and chief development officer.

He said Albany Medical Center will provide three months of free cancers screenings and exams for this initiative.

Kellerhouse and Denyse Mackey said this is a way to remove barriers and help individuals who may struggle to have access to these services.

She said her husband had a saying: “Small hinges swing big doors.” That what she’s hoping to accomplish with this foundation.

“This is a really call to action, a phenomenal opportunity for anybody in need, that doesn’t have insurance, to take advantage of this opportunity,” Denyse Mackey said.