2026 Honoree - Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things Award
LaChica King is the Founder and Executive Director of Healthy H.E.A.R.T.S., a faith-based nonprofit born from lived experience, more than two decades of service, and a deeply rooted belief that no one should have to navigate life’s most difficult transitions alone.
Born in Houston, Texas, LaChica spent her formative years in the home of her late grandmother, Josie, whose Christian faith, unconditional love, and unwavering support provided a foundation of stability during a childhood marked by both love and adversity. Although some of those experiences could have defined her by their weight, they instead shaped the depth of her compassion and her determination to create the kind of safe, supportive environments she understands can change the course of a life.
After graduating from high school in 1997, LaChica relocated to the Dallas area to attend the University of North Texas. Her path soon changed, and in 1998 she enlisted in the United States Army, serving as a Medical Specialist. Her military service became the beginning of a healthcare career spanning more than 20 years and strengthened her understanding of the connection between physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
In 2000, LaChica entered another defining season when she became a young single mother. Raising her son while rebuilding her own life deepened her understanding of what it means to face adulthood without a strong safety net. From that experience grew an unwavering commitment to ensuring that other young women and families facing adversity have access to support, guidance, resources, and someone willing to stand beside them.
By 2002, while still navigating challenges of her own, LaChica was already living what would eventually become the Healthy H.E.A.R.T.S. mission—opening her home to women needing shelter, sharing meals, and providing emergency assistance to women and families experiencing crisis. These were not yet formal programs or organizational initiatives; they were quiet acts of service rooted in compassion, faith, and a willingness to meet people where they were.
Her spiritual foundation continued to deepen, and in 2003 LaChica graduated from Seminary School, strengthening the faith first planted in her heart by her grandmother and further shaping her understanding of service as both purpose and ministry.
More than two decades after those early acts of compassion, that calling was formally established as Healthy H.E.A.R.T.S. in August 2024. Today, the registered 501(c)(3) faith-based nonprofit works to create pathways toward healing, stability, and independence for young women aging out of foster care while also supporting women veterans transitioning to civilian life and single parents experiencing critical circumstances.
The heart of the organization is reflected in its name: Healing, Encouraging, and Restoring Troubled Spirits – One Heart at a Time. Its work is further guided by the WE CARE values of Wellness, Empowerment, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Education—principles that reflect both the organization LaChica leads and the life experiences that shaped her leadership.
In recognition of her commitment to service and community impact, LaChica was named a 2026 Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things Award Honoree.
Today, she leads Healthy H.E.A.R.T.S. with the perspective of lived experience, the knowledge gained through decades in healthcare, the discipline of military service, and a faith that has remained central throughout her journey. She understands what it means to carry the wounds of childhood into adulthood—but she also knows that those wounds do not have to determine the future.
For LaChica, Healthy H.E.A.R.T.S. is more than an organization. It is the continuation of a promise first demonstrated to her by her grandmother, Josie: that one person's compassion, consistency, and willingness to care can help change the direction of another person's life.
That legacy now continues through every life Healthy H.E.A.R.T.S. is privileged to serve - One Heart at a Time.
