Transparency
Charles Nutt
Charles is the chair of many state wide organizations. His big push lately has been helping his peers to learn about the self-determination program.
His supervisor feels he has a kind heart and is really comfortable sharing his own personal life experience to help others.
He is a strong leader. When he presents, people listen. Being the chair for the North State his influence is felt far and wide.
Charles goes above and beyond to make sure his peers needs are seen and supported in being met.
Nicholas Dugan
Nicholas Dugan shows up with a smile on his face daily, ready to conquer anything thrown his way. Nick works for Mains’l Services as their ILS Program Manager. He encourages and supports individuals in living their life the best they can. He guides them in the direction of success and has never backed down from a challenging situation. When you ask his team what is the thing keeping them coming daily and completing their duties, they will say their leader, Nick. Nicholas believes everyone is important and holds a vital point in their community. He shows you the real meaning of person centered thinking by simply living his life following person centered practices. Nicholas lives by a set of his own Mission, vision and values, that don’t allow him to hold back from advocating when he sees it’s needed. I truly believe in my heart that the world needs more, Nicholas’.
Amy Carey
Amy Carey is a business owner in Quincy. She has always been an advocate for the disabled from her early years up until now through her kindness and generosity in her work and community. She goes out of her way with her kindness and caring for others.
Shelley Stephens
Shelley has worked for the ARC of Butte County for over 20 years. Shelley started working as a cashier at our Thrift Store, her dedication and love for what we do has most recently brought her into the role of Associate Director of our Adult Day Programs. Shelley always goes above and beyond to ensure all of her employees and the individuals we work for have the best quality of life. Whether it’s helping a client find a safe place to live or helping with one of our many fundraisers. Shelley is always the first to step up and volunteer whatever resources she can provide. Shelley is an absolute asset to our company and the individuals we serve; I cannot think of a more deserving person to be called a Hero!
Shelly is our program director for both ARC of Oroville and Chico. She has worn a lot of different hats over the years. She is one of our best cooking class staff members and during the pandemic she would even lead classes over zoom.
Shelly is also very crafty and has led us into using our own creativity and skills in making our own works of art. As program director, she greets everyone with a smile and is never too busy to check in with everyone she knows.
As we honor 20 years of service of this remarkable woman here’s saying thank you for everything that you do to make our community stronger and better.
Shelley is a great manager. She is always there for whatever needs come up or questions one may have. She’s constantly working on something and you can tell she really cares about what she does and the people we serve. She has a huge heart and you can see that in the way she is with all the staff and students. She’s worked for the ARC for many years and I think she deserves to be recognized for what she does and who she is. Thank you for everything you do, Shelley!
Shelley goes above and beyond in everything she does. She is constantly looking to improve her work environment and empowering her staff to be their best. Shelley has a great attitude at work and is always willing to lend a listening ear and a helping hand. She has served at The ARC for 20 yrs. She is the perfect candidate for this award.
Aaron Simmons
Aaron Simmons is dedicated to ensuring the safety and emergency preparedness of all regional center clients within the state of California. Aaron Simmons is a published author and a client of FNRC. Aaron has dedicated the past year to better prepare clients for emergency events. Not only has Aaron helped instruct safety classes to many people across the North State, but has taken personal time and commitment to write an emergency preparedness document called, What You Need to Survive.
This very detailed 19-page document provides survival tools and education for many emergency events. The impressive document has been distributed to every regional center within California along side the Department of Developmental Disabilities as a guide for emergency preparedness. Aaron is currently attempting to share the completed document outside of California by presenting it at a national level. I would personally like to congratulate Aaron Simmons for his commitment to emergency preparedness and a job well done.
O2 Staffing
Working with the O2 Staffing team has been a wonderful experience that has greatly enhanced our program, allowing us to offer a comprehensive and enjoyable experience for our participants. O2 Staffing is the primary facilitator for payroll and workers’ compensation claims for the internship program through the regional center. They handle these challenging tasks with grace, understanding, and full support for the people in the internship program.
Concepts like unemployment benefits, filing taxes, and signing up for direct deposit can be difficult for any new worker to grasp. For our participants, O2 Staffing has been exceptional, patiently fielding phone calls and guiding them through these complex topics. They consistently ensure that pay arrives on time, helping the participants from the regional center’s internship program fully experience work in the community.
As a Job Developer, I find O2 Staffing invaluable for all the support they provide. They are always accessible, offering kind and helpful responses as they guide us through setting individuals up with their services and providing everyday support. Reaching out to O2 Staffing is always a breeze. They are top-notch in their field, and I always feel confident in the decisions and support they provide.
O2 Staffing goes above and beyond to support FNRC individuals who participate in the Paid Internship Program (PIP). They are kind, courteous, and take the extra time and sometimes patience to thoroughly explain and work with individuals supported through the regional center. The staff love to know the individuals by name who come in person to pick up their pay checks every week and note that it brightens their day. Thank you O2 Staffing for ALL you do and for the incredible difference you are making in the lives of those you support! Thank you!
The O2 Staffing Agency deserves this award because they work day in and day out to provide exceptional service to those we support in our community internship program and job coaches. The team goes above and beyond to work with our interns by assisting them with training and the direct deposit portal. They also bring the team together when Mains’l Services needs to brainstorm to deliver services in a manner that is easier for our interns to navigate. They are very forward thinking and seeking technology that streamlines the processes for all of us. The 02 Staffing team is always warm, friendly and willing to give of their time when we are seeking to resolve to a situation. Cheers to this fine team!
Mark Gordon
If you work at Far Northern in Chico, it doesn’t take long to become aware that Mark Gordon from Here’s the Deal, is accessible, friendly and a creative problem solver. When I train new SCs I refer to Here’s the Deal, Mark’s business, as the “duct tape” of services. Mark hasn’t met a problem that he won’t work to solve. When others are down, even if his circumstances are hard that day, he steps in to share a laugh and lighten the moment. He works hard to have responsible, dedicated staff, and he listens to the families and SCs so that he can provide the best possible match for people in terms of supporting them in a person-centered manner. You know that a person is exceptional in terms of providing services, when you give them your big challenges. Mark wants ALL people to succeed, and if that means working harder on his end to make that happen, then that’s what he’ll do. Fighting for what’s right so that others are granted greater access is in Mark’s blood, and thankfully our entire community feels the ripple effect of his efforts.
Cheyanne Tiradeau
I work at PRS with Cheyanne Tiradeau and I truly believe that she is a Superhero! She works in the Family Empowerment Center program and every day she helps provide information, training, support and advocacy to parents and guardians of children and young adults with ANY disability in Lassen, Modoc, Plumas and Sierra Counties. She helps families and students learn to advocate for themselves, aiding families starting as infants all the way up to 22 years old by giving them resources and education. This woman goes above and beyond for her families and always approaches them with love and understanding. On top of working full time for other families, this amazing woman is also a mother of three! She never takes a day off, and always will give her all to advocate for these kids. She is in every way my Superhero and I hope that you can also see all of the amazing reasons why I believe she should be yours as well.
Mary Cardin
I have known Mary Cardin for many years and watched as she has exemplified the true essence of a superhero throughout her career, which has spanned most of her adulthood. From her experiences in residential care, day programs and work training programs, to tutoring students with varying abilities at Shasta College, her impact has extended far beyond the individuals whose lives she has helped enrich. Her dedication to serving some of the toughest individuals with grace, patience and unwavering advocacy sets her apart. Facing challenges alongside individuals and their families, Mary remains a beacon of strength, diligence, and passion for those she serves, with her strong ethical values and moral character shining through in every interaction.
What truly distinguishes Mary is her ability to break through the defiance of difficult individuals with kindness, understanding and common sense. She consistently thinks outside of the box to find realistic solutions that yield long term results, transforming the lives of individuals whom others may have given up on. Beyond her clients, Mary’s kind nature and loving spirit extend to mentoring parents, service providers, staff, and community members to increase awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by this population, particularly those exhibiting inappropriate social and even illegal behaviors at times.
Lastly, Mary’s patience knows no bounds, and her unwavering commitment to her clients and the community is nothing short of heroic. She embodies the spirit of compassion, resilience, and empathy, making her a true superhero in every sense of the word. Mary is more than deserving of recognition for her extraordinary contributions and dedication to making a difference in the lives of others. Her tireless efforts towards inclusion, acceptance and empowerment have opened doors of opportunities for her clients to integrate into their communities and feel like productive contributors. For all of this I am incredibly grateful to all of the “Mary’s” in the world.
Sou Saechao
I believe Sou Saechao goes above and beyond when helping people with disabilities. He is involved with every client that enters his business and he has helped many of them beyond what could reasonably be expected from an office like his.
In the past year alone, there have been several clients that were transitioned to secure housing from precarious housing situations due to Sou’s help. He still feels he doesn’t do enough and talks about developing emergency transitional housing for clients struggling in this area. He has plans for a shower and other ways to assist clients who don’t have access to the necessary facilities to be professional and job-ready. When a client is in need, Sou advocates for them or helps them find the right advocate, what he never does is leave them to figure it out for themselves.
We had one client who had an ankle bracelet and was unreachable because he had no permanent housing. Sou reached out and helped this client. He has recently transitioned to long-term employment and has stable housing. We had another client with no permanent housing. Sou worked with his staff at Impact Solution and they helped him find a hotel and transition to Curtis homes when it became clear that independent housing might not be the best option for him. Whenever there is a client that it seems like we aren’t going to find a good placement for, Sou will reach out to various businesses until he finds a place.
Three clients recently lost their internships at the same time. Sou spent weeks talking to a variety of places to make sure every client had a workplace and financial stability.
What Sou does above all is enable others to be heroes. He encourages his employees to be passionate advocates. He leads by example, being a person of integrity and compassion. As many people as he helps directly there are exponentially more that will be helped by him enabling others to be heroes too.