At the Family Support Center of Ojochal our volunteers make all the difference to the families we help. They deliver food and vouchers, they check in on progress, they operate La Manita, our thrift shop, and they support our fundraising events.

Recognizing the contributions of these generous members of our community is one way to say Thank You!

Here is a profile of Heide Ulbrich!

A resident of Chontales since 2015, Heide was born and raised in a small town in Germany where she learned to love the local flora and fauna with her grandfather and uncle who were both forest rangers. This love of nature is one of the reasons she moved to Costa Rica. Later she studied costume design and fabrication and worked as a costume designer in theater.  
In 1969, Heide moved to Los Angeles, married, and her 2 daughters were born and raised there. She soon returned to school to study art, became a ceramic artist and taught ceramics for 22 years. She also enjoys painting.
An avid traveler and photographer, Heide has a love of foreign cultures, languages, and interaction with local people; another important part of her decision to move to Costa Rica.  
First visiting Costa Rica with friends in 2012 she fell in love with the country and people, and especially the southern zone which allows an escape from big city life and a return to the nature she loves– the animals, birds, insects and snakes.
A volunteer at La Manita, Heide has found the “perfect venue to interact with the local community and to do something productive, and most importantly, to give back a bit of the ‘pura vida’ I found here”.
Heide is also putting her creative energy to good use adding decorative flare to our repurposed display cases.