LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) - Dave Halker has been affiliated with Heartbeat of Lima and Putnam County for 3-decades as a board member. He retired from the board and still wanted to be involved and that started his mission of volunteering.
"I mentor young men, and young men that are going to be dads, or are dads, and we just go through a program and we talk, and we get to pray with them," said Halker. "That's probably the coolest thing. We get a prayer with them."
Dave Halker has been affiliated with Heartbeat of Lima and Putnam County for 3-decades as a board member.
Halker by trade is in construction, and he, along with his family, has taken on several repair projects around the building. But his greatest project has been becoming a "dad-vocate" to new dads and dads to be. He takes the time to sit down with these men and talk with them about what they are feeling and how he can help.
"We sit and we talk a little bit and find out, you know, you get to know him a little bit," Halker said. "Then we go through a video, and then we can talk some more. It lasts about 45 minutes to an hour."
Halker was nominated for the Jefferson Award by the agency for all that he has brought to the table mentoring these men.
"He encourages them to have a strong work ethic, to respect the mothers of their children and to work hard to be able to provide for their families, and he does that all with compassion and care and the love of Christ shown to each one," said Sara Nishimoto, Client Services Director for Heartbeat.
Halker was nominated for the Jefferson Award by the agency for all that he has brought to the table mentoring these men.
Halker is humbled by getting the award and says he is just doing what he can to help.
"It's very nice of them to nominate me, but I'm just a small part of this," said Halker. "There's probably, I don't know how many - 15 to 20 people that do what we do here, and Heartbeat is a great organization."
"It's so important to have Dave and our other male mentors here to encourage our young fathers," said Nishimoto. "We've had an increase in desire for young men to be mentored by our fatherhood advocates. That program has grown and fathers are just so crucial to the family. They lead the family and we need to have strong leaders like Dave to be an example to them to have to lead their families well."
