Temecula Mom Gives Back To Family & Community: 'Everyone Loves Her'

TEMECULA, CA— Moms do so much for everyone around them. We try to celebrate them all year long, but Mother's Day is a perfect opportunity to shout it from the rooftops and post it on Patch: Mom rocks!

Here at Patch we've launched an initiative to help recognize the awesome moms and mom figures in communities like yours.

This submission comes from Enissa Mitchell who nominated Heather Mitchell of Temecula.

What makes your Mom extra special?

My mom is a true definition of the term leading by example . She has three girls — myself (27), and my twin sisters Ava and Mia (12) —and a grandson Maverick (3) ... [My mom] became a correction deputy ... so she would have a good job to give me the best opportunities in life. She met my stepdad when I was 6. Even though she would work a graveyard shift, she always took me to my summer camps, school or whatever I had going on with little sleep .

For the last two years, she has been a crime prevention specialist with the Sheriff's Department. She is the buffer between patrol and community problems. She also does outreach and education for schools in her area. Everyone in her community knows her and loves her. When I was little, she would take me to work and I would get to learn what she did when she was a dispatcher and learn about 9-1-1. Because I wanted to be like my mom and serve my community, I became a Sheriff Explorer at 16 and joined the Army as the only female firefighter in my unit . My mom didn’t stop there. She takes my little sisters to community events with her like National Night Out and the Fallbrook Avocado Festival so they can gain valuable life experience through volunteering. She helps everyone without ever expecting anything in return. She has shown my sisters and I the definition of perseverance and rising above hard times. The things she has done to help not only her daughters but perfect strangers in her community — [she] is selfless, and she still continues to be a good example for us.

Why do you feel your Mom deserves the spotlight?

My mom deserves this because she has a servant's heart. She is a self starter and a leader. She along with my twin sisters created the Sheriff’s Department’s first Autism awareness T-shirt. This year a classmate at my little sisters' school (5th grade) was diagnosed with liver cancer and would be out with chemo —when my mom found out she reached out to other police and fire departments to help put together a first responder backer full of the little girl's favorite things along with department photos from each agency.

In 2020, there was a terrible plane crash in Valley Center when a 12-year old girl had her uncle who was a pilot fly over her best friend's house for her birthday, and the plane had mechanical problems and crashed on the best friend's property — killing the uncle and severely injuring the girl in the plane. My mom did what she does best and worked her magic at bringing communities together. She coordinated a police and fire caravan down their neighborhood with lights and sirens with CHP, Sheriff, and Valley Center fire to have the first responders deliver baskets of goodies for the girls. For some first responders, this was the first time seeing the girls since the crash. The whole neighborhood came out.

During COVID things were rough for everyone — especially the elderly —and she created Operation Thanksgiving Pie for her department. She partnered with Snowline Orchard and Julian Pie company to have deputies deliver pumpkin pies the week of Thanksgiving to elderly communities. I got to go with her and not only see how she gets so much happiness from making others smile, but the community that she serves just really loves her. That is why she deserves this because I know she would say she doesn’t, but I wanted you to know how amazing she is as a mom and grandmother.

Happy Mother's Day to Heather Mitchell, and thank you for all you do!

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Know an amazing mom? Nominate them here.