Transparency
Wendy Dickens
Wendy is a true community hero. She is the Executive Director of First 5 Shasta, helps families in the county get services for their children, she is a rotary member and puts on the best haunted house at the Monolith for charity. She has a podcast for children in the Northstate and their parents, just another way she is helping link people to resources and information. She teaches master level classes on psychology and child development. She is also a volunteer fire fighter and during the Carr and Camp fires was on the front line physically defending our town. Wendy is like Superwoman. She does all this while also raising two daughters, being an active bowler and being kind to everyone. She always has time to listen to someone and find out how she can help. She has a wonderful laugh and an uplifting spirit. She is a true super hero.
Judy Tatom, Tim Boehme & Support Staff
I am pleased to nominate both Judy and Tim for the Superhero award for a variety of reasons. Not only Judy and Tim, but the entire Adult Transition Center Team.
Judy and Tim are special education teachers, within the Oroville Union High School District, heading up the Adult Transition Center (ATC). This duo radiates collaborative spirit, adaptability, flexibility and above all, accountability for the 18–22-year-old students with disabilities they are proud to serve.
This program is not located within the high school setting but rather the Adult Education campus. This provides a community setting that in turn sets students up for real life experience as they transition into the community.
I was fortunate to shadow Judy and Tim’s class. They are all business! The day begins with self-care and transitions to a mini lesson of the day. Employment and community inclusion occupies a large portion of the day followed by a personal evaluation. Each student participates in clean-up and afternoon groups.
The dedication of these two teachers and the support staff, is truly providing real World experience and social skills for these students to excel in their person-centered next steps in life. Judy and Tim go over and above in all they do. Their students are well respected which is represented by their confidence and drive to achieve their goals and dreams.
Renee Bauer
Renee has worked in various areas that involve helping, assisting, and advocating for individuals with developmental & intellectual delays, as well as the elderly. Renee is very passionate about the work that she has chosen.
In addition, she has had individuals in her personal life that she has been a true advocate for. Fighting for services and support.
She possesses a grace and true calling for helping others.
Joy Brown
Joy is the face of Indian Valley and especially the community of survivors of the Dixie Fire. Whether she is greeting customers at the Thrift Store, washing donations, attending an overwhelming list of community meetings and events or working with the fire safe council with the under burn program. Her smile warms your heart. She is an active member of the VFW and served her country in the Navy, is an Elk member, and volunteers for everything and anything that can benefit her community. Her charity extends to myriads of children that she and her husband sponsor in the Philippines. Boxes of clothes are packed every year to help those who have close to nothing. She works tirelessly to educate anyone who will listen in how to protect their property from fire, and the tireless work she and her husband put into their homestead over the years, which saved it from the fire that took most of their neighbors homes. Joy truly lives up to her name.
Shelly Nickle
While managing all the little things that keeps the director’s office flowing well, Shelly does so many employee centered things like…starting before the Holidays at the end of the year, Shelly is planning and organizing. She helped with a “Baking contest” because, who doesn’t thrive on a little competition (and sugar)? For our clients she did so much to help make the holidays nice. She plans, organizes, shops and even set trees up at the Redding and Chico office to give employees the opportunity to share in the joy of giving, if they desired.
She smiles at people in the hallway and stops to say hello when she has time. She probably walks miles every week, just doing her job and she does all that no matter how she might be feeling physically or mentally.
This year I watched her first hand collect jacket orders and pass them out to staff. I watched her handle all the details even the little details, so we could all take part in a very fun day of Employee recognition. All while she juggled a couple of other big events for management. Things that most of us would think are just magically done. Sure it’s her job, but a big part of her job is to basically “boost” up the employees at FNRC so they feel appreciated (with a smile, a jacket, or gluten free croutons) so they can then go on serving our community.
This is why I think she is a HERO every day. She keeps her cape tucked in because that’s the kind of HERO she is.
Dan Litchfield
I am nominating Dan Litchfield as a Plumas/Lassen County Superhero because of his actions of going over and above the ordinary in his care and service to the community.
Dan’s background is a community volunteer, EMT, and currently working with survivors of the Dixie Fire of 2021 as a Construction Cost Analyst. He gets paid to help people who are rebuilding their destroyed homes in the burn scar. However, Dan goes above and beyond the parameters of his job.
Dan is always available to do odd jobs, make deliveries, or help community member’s move. He has done small renovation projects, cut and delivered firewood, and painted community member’s sheds. If there is a DYI or home improvement project that needs to be done, Dan has volunteered to help. He has helped community members who are rebuilding their home as an owner rebuild with carpentry work, and driving down to Chico to pick up materials.
Besides being a go to volunteer for the community, Dan greatly cares for the community. Last year he received funding for a program called, Nature Made. An outdoor summer program for kids where they could come spend a day outdoors and do fun activities like a climbing wall, zip line, crafts, gold panning, and playing in a creek. This program ran once a month and in the 2nd month of running over 60 kids from the community showed up to play outside in nature.
Dan also has empathy for our elderly and disabled. He is pursuing funding for a community program called Aging in Grace. A program that would support the elderly and disabled that cannot get out very much, by bringing the world to them. An Aging in Grace volunteer would spend time with a client, find out if they have any repairs, shopping, and correspondence to do and do that for the client. It is also a way to bring connection to the elderly and disabled by having a volunteer checking in on their wellbeing. The purpose is to lessen emergency calls from clients that are shut off, or shut in.
Dan is also working on a program called NEAT Nature Exercise Assisted Therapy, a simple program to get people outside in nature in order to receive nature’s therapeutic benefits.
Truly, Dan has his heart in supporting the community he has lived and worked in for over 20 years. He has raised his children in Plumas County, and continues to see the gaps in social services and plans to implement programs that support those community members that fall through the cracks.
Dan is a self-less member of the community. That is why he deserves to be picked as a Superhero!
Megan Swope
Megan is an amazing supervisor in Community Services, but also continues to be an amazing advocate for Case Management as well. She goes above and beyond for clients in every way that she can and she always brings a positive, happy, and cheerful presence to any room. She is always open for collaboration, listens to others and their thoughts, and will provide constructive feedback or thoughts on subject. She is personable and easy to talk to. FNRC would not be the same without her. Both Community Service and Case Management are better with her support.
Bryan Casey
Bryan is a special Ed teacher for CUSD that goes above & beyond for his students and all people with disabilities that he encounters. In the 24 years that I have worked in special education, I have never met a person that supports the unique needs of the students that he works with as much as he does. He holds high standards for all of his students and works tirelessly to ensure inclusion on a daily basis. If there is a barrier, he finds a way around or over it. His compassion, empathy and determination is inspirational.
Janet Hope
Janet does great work in supporting individuals. She is a great woman. Assists wherever she is needed. She has supported individuals through challenges so that they can stay on course. She has stepped in to support individuals in securing services through Self-Determination. She takes calls from individuals even though she is not the primary Service Coordinator, which makes me feel good that she cares enough to help.
Season Goodpasture
Season Goodpasture is a remarkable beacon of hope, particularly within Native American communities. Her dedication to supporting families raising children with disabilities, such as autism, is truly awe-inspiring. As the visionary behind Acorns to Oak Trees, she has etched her name in history as the first Native American organization to be vendored with a Regional Center in California, offering a lifeline of occupational therapy, speech therapy, and unwavering support to families in need through here Parent Navigator Program.
Through Acorns to Oak Trees, Season doesn’t just provide services; she extends a hand of compassion and understanding to those facing challenges navigating Regional Centers and offers technical assistance. Her commitment to spreading awareness of IDD within our Native communities and fostering acceptance within those communities is deeply rooted in empathy and compassion.
With every therapy session and supportive gesture, Season and her team breathe life into the dreams and aspirations of children and families across California. Their unwavering dedication serves as a testament to the power of compassion and unity in overcoming adversity to those that have been truly underserved. In the hearts of those they touch, they plant seeds of hope, nurturing them into flourishing oaks of resilience and empowerment. Season and her team are working to restore the village and are so thankful for all the many wonderful people we have been touched by along the way.
Thank you Season!!