David Wells knows a lot about how to provide warmth and comfort to those in need in the Milledgeville and Baldwin County community.

The key word is “comfort” — Wells is the owner of Milledgeville’s “Comfort Keepers,” a franchised business that places caregivers in the homes of those that need them in the local community.

As Wells tells it, managing Comfort Keepers isn’t always easy, but it’s not difficult to tell when he’s done a good job — the smile on someone’s face or a handshake of appreciation takes care of that part for him.

“This is an independently owned and operated franchise business. It’s been successful and rewarding in so many ways,” Wells said.

According to the national Web site of Comfort Keepers at www.comfortkeepers.com, the mission of the business is to “provide our clients with the highest level of quality of life that is achievable.”

“We shall treat each of our clients with the respect and dignity they deserve, as though we were caring for a member of our own family,” the site states.

That’s something the Milledgeville branch has kept in mind since starting in the area several years ago, according to Wells.

“We provide caregivers and assistance mostly to people in Milledgeville, Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee at the moment. I’ve even got clients as far south as Toomsboro,” he said.

Wells was among a small handful of local businesses that attended the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce’s Business Expo/Taste of Milledgeville.

Underneath clear skies and a shady tent, Wells waited for the public to stop by, visit and learn more about what his business has to offer in the Central Georgia area.

“If I can have only five or six people that haven’t heard about me, then I can consider it a success,” Wells said. “We provide professional caregivers into people’s homes rather than having them go into nursing homes. We like to call it ‘assisted living in your own home.’”

The Milledgeville site employs 28 certified nursing assistants and has had an established presence in Milledgeville for more than four years.

“We assist with everything. Our employees will go into someone’s homes and prepare meals for them, do their laundry — pretty much whatever needs to be done,” Wells stated.

Each Comfort Keeper is carefully selected, screened and trained for the capable and compassionate care and is covered by Workers’ Compensation insurance to protect clients and their families, according to the group’s Web site.

The Milledgeville Comfort Keepers may be reached by calling (478) 414-1512.