Kimberli's Place Foundation,Inc.: COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Kimberli's Place Foundation, Inc. - Supporting Communities
Our organization is committed to providing self-care days, education, and give HOPE for our community to stay connected with mental health support!
Our partnership with Levine Children's NICU gives their staff and families a self-care day once a month by providing free massages, self-care services, and a wonderful meal by Fresh Chef Stevens Mill. All services are provided free by local business volunteers through our foundation.
Heather Klaus ~ Founder & President
Heather is our Founder & President of Kimberli's Place Foundation, Inc. She gained a huge purpose after the loss of her friend, son's teacher, and an amazing mentor to her children. She did not want to sit in the despair of grief and not do anything. After receiving the devastating news that Kimberli had ended her life, this is when she established Kimberli's Place in January 2021.
She received her BA in Psychology from Wingate University and her M.Ed. with a Trauma Informed Certification from Appalachian State University. During her degree time she interned with Department of Social Services in Union County, NC. After much research and direct impact, she saw the gaps needing to be bridged in our community for mental health support.
Her passion is to ensure no one has to face life's challenges, transitions, and temporary stages alone. There is support available with many others that want to help plant HOPE in our community.
Laura Givens ~ Vice President & Treasurer
Laura is our Vice President of Kimberli's Place Foundation. She has been directly affected by the loss of her friend, Kimberli. With many years of the lack of support, and limited resources in the community for her child that suffered with mental health issues, she wanted to advocate for herself and her family.
As a hairstylist, she has be given the opportunity to create a safe space for her clients to open up and often sees the need to extend her knowledge of resources that helped her through her own journey. She brings an educational background in Psychology and adds support to the foundation in her experience from her families story.
She recently has been given the opportunity to work in direct contact with Levine's Children's Hospital to provide free services to the children and their families during their rehabilitation. Her purpose within the foundation is to break the stigma about mental health and allow everyone the understanding that you do not have to go through it alone. There is hope for everyone.
Margaret Heins ~ Director
Margaret serves as the Director of Kimberli’s Place Foundation, Inc. Her passion for mental health awareness and support is deeply rooted in her personal experience. Having lived with undiagnosed chronic anxiety until two years ago, Margaret understands the transformative power of early diagnosis and treatment.
This journey fuels her desire to bring HOPE to those facing trauma, stigma, or judgement around their mental health challenges, helping them realize they matter and are never alone. With over 25 years of experience in finance and project management, Margaret offers a well-rounded corporate perspective to the Foundation. She has spent 15 years with a
global contract food service company and has served on several non-profit boards and committees dedicated to community service and support.
Margaret is committed to furthering the foundation’s mission by bridging the gap between community needs and available resources. She envisions creating lasting partnerships among organizations to establish a village of HOPE.
Hannah Heim ~ Secretary
Hannah is a stay-at-home mother of two and the founder of The Unmentioned Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to men’s mental health. Through her own experiences with grief and loss, Hannah felt called to support others and advocate for greater access to mental health resources and compassionate care.
“When I walked into Kimberli’s Place in the height of my grief, I felt so supported and listened to—and I knew then that I wanted to give that same sense of comfort and hope to
others. I could have never imagined that encounter would lead me to founding my own nonprofit in honor of my father, and serving on the board of Kimberli’s Place.”
Hannah believes that every trauma and life experience she’s faced has guided her toward helping others find healing and connection. She is passionate about using her creativity and
compassion to provide others with the same sense of belonging and hope she found through Kimberli’s Place.