The Safe Frame Project: Code of Conduct By Luke Sheppard

1. Help First. Ask Nothing. I never charge for board-ups performed through this project. No questions about insurance, income, or how the damage happened. If I show up, it’s because you needed someone to.

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2. Consent Is Required For Filming

If I film the work, I ask permission. No pressure. No filming faces, names, addresses, or license plates unless approved. If someone says no to filming — I still help them anyway.

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3. Only Work I Know I Can Do I don’t take on jobs that require a license I don’t hold. I don’t take shortcuts that would leave a home unsafe. If a job is outside my scope, I help find someone who can take it on — or say no.

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4. Safety Comes Before Speed

I do not rush work at the expense of safety.

If a situation is dangerous — structurally, electrically, or otherwise — I will pause, reassess, or decline the job.

No board-up is worth injury to myself or others.

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5. Donations = Fuel for the Mission

Every donation I accept goes to one of three things:

Materials and tools for future board-ups

Hiring help to do more work safely and faster

Supporting my own family so I can keep showing up

This project doesn’t exist if I can’t sustain it.

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6. I Don’t Fix What Isn’t Broken I don’t “upsell,” pad jobs, or create problems that weren’t there. I don’t work for landlords unless the tenant directly benefits. I don’t compete with paid contractors doing active work — I step in when no one else is available.

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7. Temporary Means Temporary

All work performed through The Safe Frame Project is temporary in nature.

Board-ups and emergency repairs are not permanent solutions.

It is the responsibility of the property owner or landlord to arrange proper long-term repairs.

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8. Mental Health Matters I take breaks. I say no when I need to. I don’t work myself into the ground for the sake of pride.

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9. My Time Has Value, Even When Given Freely I reserve the right to set boundaries: how many jobs per week, where I go, and what I can take on. I help who I can, when I can.

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10. I Speak With Respect — Online and On-Site. I talk like I work: with grit, dignity, and clarity. If I wouldn’t say it to someone’s face in front of their broken door, I won’t say it online for views.

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11. Respect for Property and Boundaries

I treat every home as if it were my own.

I do not enter areas without permission.

I do not move or handle personal belongings unless necessary for safety.

I leave the space safer and cleaner than I found it.

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12. This Is a Mission, Not a Marketing Strategy. I’m not here to go viral. I’m here to show up when it matters. If the audience grows — great. But it won’t change the core: One man, one repair, one moment of relief at a time.

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13. I Fill the Gaps — I Don’t Replace the System

I don’t interfere with active insurance claims or restoration work that is already in motion.

If help is coming and the situation is being handled properly, I step back.

The Safe Frame Project exists for the moments in between — when help is delayed, unavailable, or out of reach.

I’m not here to compete with professionals doing their job well.

I’m here for the people who are still waiting.

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14. My Purpose on Each Job

Remove any hazardous material in the immediate area (glass, large pieces of broken wood, etc.)

Make the opening secure — usually by boarding broken windows or restoring a damaged door’s function.

Clean the area after the work — no glass, no splinters, no hazards left behind.

Take measurements of the existing product so that when donations allow for replacement, I’m ready to move forward. These repairs will be done based on job sites I've visited first and who I can reach out to again when the time comes.

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15. No Guarantees — Only Honest Work

I do not guarantee that temporary repairs will prevent all future damage or entry.

I provide the strongest and safest solution possible within the scope of emergency work.