Frances grew up in a small and isolated gold mining town in the western foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Canada, where the community lived snow-bound for much of the year. At the age of 16, she founded her first charity, which joined the needs of marginalized teens with those of poor families. Fascinated with off-the-beaten-path travel and different cultures, she worked her way around much of the world in a variety of careers, including work in Africa with the Canadian Consulate. She also founded two successful businesses, one in magazine publishing.

Her travels eventually brought her to Guatemala. Her unwavering commitment to social justice and her profound interest in aiding the Maya rebuild their lives after the ravages of a decades-long civil war, prompted her to launch Adopt-a-Village in the Northwestern highlands of Guatemala.

For over 30 years her vision has led this small, but highly spirited organization of dedicated volunteers to provide education and assistance to hundreds of Indigenous people living on the edge of survival in an isolated region of Guatemala. Frances has served as president of both the Adopt-a-Village Board of Directors in Oregon and Fundación Para el Desarrollo Comunal de Huehuetenango in Guatemala. In 2020, Frances received the prestigious Rotary International "Service Above Self" award. Her vision of empowering Indigenous Maya through education continues to guide the education and literacy programs of the organization.