(COLORADO SPRINGS) — It’s Women’s History Month, and to celebrate, FOX21 News is sharing the stories of remarkable women in our community. We asked you to nominate the extraordinary women of Southern Colorado for an award, and received 99 inspiring submissions.
One of those submissions was Heidi Gleghorn.
You might not always notice the person standing on the side of the road, but Gleghorn always does. In fact, she’s devoted her entire life to taking care of the less fortunate.
“It’s more than 40 hours, many weeks,” said her husband, Rob Gleghorn. “In fact, every time we are in the car together and we’re driving, she’s always adamant about, ‘make sure you get in the left lane where you can hand something to somebody.'”
Growing up homeless as her father fought addiction, Gleghorn is a champion for the power of love and the Lord. Her husband describes her as a ‘Mother Teresa.’ He’s not alone in that sentiment, as several community members played a role in her nomination as a Remarkable Woman.
With a masters degree in counseling, she spends her days tending to people with unimaginable frostbite injuries, picking off body lice, and helping people with emotional wounds.
“The Lord showed me, ‘I want you to use your master’s degree to help broken people heal without charging them,'” said Gleghorn, “and so I began making this book and of all their stories and just telling them I wanted to pray over them.”
Helping countless people without homes–it’s all inspired by her father and her faith.
“I’ve loved it. Wherever I go, I have droves of people coming in for counseling… food and clothing. It’s just been my natural heart because of where I come from,” said Gleghorn. “I just see beauty and I just feel great compassion because I know they weren’t born wanting to be in a situation… We’re all just a couple of days away from complete disaster.”
Aside from growing up homeless, putting her father through rehab, and later putting him to rest, she’s battled Spinal Meningitis, cancer, and had to learn to walk and talk again after being hit by a semi-truck.
“It was the actual body of Christ coming around me, and it was showing me a new way to live with genuine love and genuine side-by-side transformation. Like, I took every word they said, and I believed it. I wanted to live it, and they taught me, and they held my hand through the whole thing,” said Gleghorn.
She’s now using those lessons to meet people where they’re at, with whatever they might need, showing them a love rivaling that of a relative.
“[People experiencing homelessness] don’t bite. They’re just hurting. It may not be the way you would handle your life, but you never know when you’re in dire straits. You haven’t walked in their shoes. They are worthy. That is someone’s mom, dad, sister, brother,” said Gleghorn.
She said she never imagined that this would be her life, being able to help people who are in the same position that she used to be in.
Her husband describes her as a “rogue agent,” but she works with the Sanctuary Church, Hope COS, and Westside Cares. She also carries items with her to give to people without homes, and collects many items to donate at her home. However, she said one of the best ways to help is just by asking things like, “how are you doing?” “what’s your name?” or “where are you from?”
On April 1st, tune in to learn who wins FOX21’s Remarkable Woman of the Year award. The winner will have $1,000 donated to a non-profit of their choice, and will be added to the running for our company wide, national Woman of the Year award.
For our nationwide Woman of the Year award, the 125 local winners will be honored at a star-studded awards dinner & ceremony in Los Angeles. At the ceremony, the winner will be announced. She will be awarded $25,000 for the nonprofit closest to her heart.
