Volunteer Spotlight: Lee & Carol Heim
This week, we want to highlight Lee & Carol – volunteers who have made an impact in the lives of many of our foster families.
Every week for almost 5 years, Lee & Carol Heim have brought a home-cooked meal out to a family at our Harrisburg Foster Care Community. Over the years, they have consistently served three different families in this way – greatly blessing them with a meal and company each week! Lee & Carol have served approximately 220 meals to our foster families since they began volunteering.
Carol, how did you and Lee hear about Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries?
I worked with Mark Zimmer at Shelter Insurance in the early nineties, and became aware of his and Laurene’s involvement with Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries. We have volunteered sporadically throughout the years.
What led you to begin volunteering with us?
After retiring, Lee and I had the time to become involved with Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries on a consistent basis. We visited with personnel in the office, and together came up with the weekly meal delivery plan.
My husband, Lee, is an integral part of the meal prep, but he does not make the delivery trip with me each week. He always helps with the food shopping, cooking, and clean-up.
You’ve brought out a meal to our Harrisburg Foster Care community for years now. Are there any specific moments that stand out to you from those years?
Watching the kids’ demeanor evolve during their time at Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries is awesome. Sharing a meal with them weekly, we can see them slowly mellow out and learn to trust and respect the adults caring for them. They become the kids they were meant to be.
I specifically remember a 3-year-old girl who came to Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries about the same time I started delivering meals. She was in the house I was working with, so I saw her often. Every week, she ran out to greet me and she made sure to give me a good-bye hug every time I left. She has since been adopted and left Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries. Lee and I reconnected with her at Open House in September. She is now 7. She ate dinner with us and shared her memories of those weekly dinners. It was such a good feeling to know we played a small role in her fond memories of Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries.
What’s your favorite part about volunteering with Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries?
Far and above — the relationships with the kids and their foster parents! The first three minutes when I arrive, the kids come running to help carry the food in. They are so happy and excited to see me, with hugs all around. I also enjoy sharing mealtime with the families, sharing what’s happening in their lives, hearing about what they’re doing in school, and their normal day-to-day life.
Brittany McCaskey, former foster parent at The Hill, mentions how big of a blessing Carol and Lee were to her family when she lived at the Harrisburg community. “I could almost write a book about Carol! My family and I had the pleasure of getting to see Carol on a nearly week-to-week basis from September 2018 until April 2021 (minus a couple months due to COVID). Her dedication and faithfulness is so admirable. My family still talks about Carol regularly. Carol is so kind and was a lot of fun to have in our home. I enjoyed getting to connect with her and being able to share about our personal lives. When at The Hill, all of the kids grew to love Carol and were excited to see her each week.”
Stephanie Kreitner, current foster parent in the Ubl Home at our Harrisburg Community, agrees that Carol and Lee have been a huge blessing. “She is truly amazing. She is just a part of our family here. She not only fills our tummies but she also loves on us all! She asks about our lives and connects with us. Her and her husband are a gift!! She is such a sincere, loving person. Having her come really helps me out personally because it is one night of my week that I don’t have to cook, which usually by that time of night I am already worn out and tired. I get a little break but also get to enjoy seeing the joy and excitement on my kids’ faces when Ms. Carol pulls up or walks in the door. She is truly loved by everyone here and is such an inspiration to me and a blessing to us all.”
“I am grateful to the foster parents for always welcoming me into their families,” Carol said. “I consider all the foster parents my friends. I have the deepest respect for the awesome jobs they do every day, day after day.”
If you are interested in volunteering with us, visit coyotehill.org/volunteer.
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