Sarah O’Hearn first learned about COTS’ Meal Ministry program when she was looking for Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities for her and her husband. She found the opportunity on our website and knew she had found her calling. “I love it!” she exclaims. “For me, it’s perfect because I love cooking and I get to help others.”

COTS’ Meal Ministers take turns providing a meal for COTS residents each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. They prepare delicious meals, either as a group or individually, and then drop the food off at COTS. Our Meal Ministers not only provide COTS residents with a scrumptious, home-cooked meal, they also show our residents that our community cares about their well-being. 

Sarah is a native of Fond du Lac and is in the process of building a home in Neenah. She serves as an IT Business Analyst at Humana. Humana recently began providing its employees with eight hours of “VTO”–volunteer time off. This allows Sarah to take some time off work on the days she cooks for the residents. It also allows her time for her other volunteer roles, including volunteering with the Neenah Soccer Club.

“So thankful”

This past Thanksgiving, it took Sarah and her husband all day to prepare the Thanksgiving feast for the residents. They prepared everything from scratch–even the mashed potatoes. Her coworkers pitched in as well, providing 10 desserts to accompany the meal. “The residents were so friendly, so thankful,” she recalls