Our Founder & Board

Karen Scheeringa-Parra - Founder

Karen Scheeringa-Parra is a woman of faith, of passion for the disadvantaged, and a woman of seemingly unlimited energy. She is the mother of twelve children, eleven of whom were adopted from the Philippines, Korea, Mexico, Guatemala, and the United States. In 1982, while picking up her adopted daughter from Korea, Karen met the director of an organization which specialized in providing needed surgeries for children from all over the world, and immediately became involved as a volunteer in that work. She did so as part of her personal desire to follow Jesus Christ in loving service to others.

By 1986, however, Ms. Scheeringa-Parra realized that the number of children in developing countries needing medical attention required a more aggressive approach. Additionally, she observed that removing small children from their families and homes was traumatic for all involved. In 1990, Ms. Scheeringa-Parra incorporated Hearts In Motion and began taking medical teams to children in need. Hearts In Motion Inc. received 501 (c) (3) status in 1993.

Karen’s strong leadership and faith have expanded HIM in ways that are unimaginable because of her passion to serve God.

Marcia McGinnis

I was born in Southern California, and presently live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I have traveled with Hearts in Motion since 2001. I came with the open heart of a volunteer, ready to do what was asked. I eventually started adding multiple trips a year and created the eyeglasses vision team in 2006. I have lost count on the number of trips I have made with Hearts in Motion but would estimate over 30. I have been on the Board of Directors since 2005.

Why has the vision program become my passion project? I was a premature baby, and developed crossed eyes when I was about 18 months old. After surgery at about 3 years of age, I said, “Mommy, you don’t have two heads!” I have worn eyeglasses ever since, improving my vision. And I have learned the difference good health and vision care can make.

At the Hearts in Motion clinics. I have met adults who never learned to read solely because of poor vision and their family didn’t have the resources for an optometrist or eyeglasses. We have seen truck drivers who needed eyeglasses to see on the roadways! Children often need just a little help to see their teacher at the blackboard or maybe some challenges in reading their schoolbooks.

It is recognized in the U.S. that a large part of the prison population are persons who also didn’t have eyeglasses when they were needed. Perhaps they developed the self-preservation tactic of acting out and getting in trouble for poor behavior rather than having to demonstrate they couldn’t see, fearing they would be seen as stupid, but they just couldn’t see to read their textbooks or what the teacher was doing on the blackboard.

Training to give our simple vision tests came from Lions Club and Visual Compassion, nonprofit organizations that empower interested mission team volunteers. Anyone can learn our methods. Although we aren’t medical professionals, we are improving the daily lives of those men, women and children we see at the Hearts in Motion clinics.

Marcia has been a board member since 2005 and Board Secretary since approximately 2008.

Kathy Janisch

Kathy Janisch is a Registered Nurse now retired from 21 years at Moreland OB-GYN and 14 years in L&D at Waukesha Memorial in Waukesha, Wisconsin. She is the Director of the Hearts In Motion Wisconsin office in addition to being on the Board of Directors of HIM.
Kathy is married to Dave and has two daughters Lindsay married to Aaron with two grandsons Max and Breytton and Jennifer married to Ryan with granddaughter Emerson and grandson Benson. She spends her relaxation time at her vacation home in the northeastern part of Wisconsin.
Kathy came on her first trip with her employer Moreland OBGYN and HIM in 2004 to do Cervical Cancer screenings. Kathy was so touched by the people of Guatemala and the work of HIM, she wanted to help continue the vision of HIM in the states. She started collecting clothing, school supplies and medical equipment to send to Guatemala. In 2005, the Wisconsin HIM office worked to start a major fundraising effort with sending groups of volunteers to work at the Milwaukee Brewer’s baseball games in the concession stands at Miller Park in Milwaukee. Over the years this program has made $1000’s of dollars to to finance the transportation of our valuable donations and continues to help send volunteers to Guatemala every year.

In 2008, the HIM Wisconsin office helped bring the first group of Nursing and Physical Therapy students from Carroll University, Waukesha, WI. Since then numerous universities throughout Wisconsin have been able to participate in these valuable educational experiences.

The Wisconsin office continues to seek out and collect donations of medical equipment and is heavily involved in organizing firefighter training and firefighter equipment donations throughout the Midwest states. Firefighters from Ecuador and Guatemala are happy to be able to take advantage of the wonderful donations of gear and the exceptional trainings given every year.

Bob Umhoefer

I am a recently retired pharmacist. For 37 years I ran three clinic pharmacies for Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare in Racine, Wisconsin. I have been married to my wife, Molly, for 40 years and have three daughters. I am a new grandpa and love every minute of it. I went on my first trip to Guatemala with Hearts In Motion for my 50th birthday. I have since been on nine more trips to Guatemala with Hearts In Motion and 1 trip to Kenya with another organization. While on one of my trips to Guatemala I road in a pickup truck with Martin and lived to tell about it. For fun I like to play golf and play with my grandson.

Karen Scheeringa-Parra - Founder

Marcia McGinnis

Kathy Janisch

Bob Umhoefer

Joff Morales

Jamie Bradford

Alyssa Jerdon Brett