February is Parent Recognition Month. Strengthening Families Washington, of the Department of Early Learning for Washington State, believes there is no better way to recognize a parent, grandparent, foster or adoptive parent than by acknowledging the numerous and impressive things they do to strengthen their family and those around them in their community.
Seattle's Child is proud to sponsor the Washington Unsung Hero Awards, recognizing our everyday heroes and honoring the important role caregivers play in children's lives. There are 28 nominees for the 28 days of February, and Seattle's Child will highlight each and every one.
Congratulations to the Unsung Hero for February 8:
Denise Walk – Tacoma
Denise truly defines what it means to be an Unsung Hero. She works tirelessly (with a bit of help from coffee!) not only for her own children, but for the children she fosters. These are kids that have special challenges and needs, and not just anyone could be successful in this type of situation. She provides an environment in her home to nurture and support their individual needs, including managing their sensory and dietary concerns. Denise can often be found in the car chauffeuring her kids to their various therapy appointments.
She handles the daily stresses of raising children with a variety of special needs with grace, and Denise is one of the most resilient people I have ever met. She always maintains a positive outlook, despite the many challenges that crop up. You can see this part of her personality simply from her email address, "lemonadefromlemons." And, even when she cannot necessarily afford to do so, she will donate money and resources to help people who are in need and also support organizations that are important to her.
In and amongst all of this, she finds time to serve the local special needs community through her work with the Autism Society of Washington. When she has any minutes left to spare, you can find her online, providing support to other families via social media platforms like Facebook. I frequently see her name pop up in the various groups, pages, and ListServs, and the advice and commentary she provides is relevant, thoughtful, and valuable.
She really has her finger on the pulse of the community, especially as it relates to autism, and she is always connecting families with each other and various helpful resources. If we had more people like Denise around, the autism and special needs community would feel more like an extended family and less isolated. Her powers of connection and information truly make a positive impact on countless families. Please recognize Denise as a 2014 Unsung Hero. She absolutely deserves it!
Nominator: Angela Fish
