She sits at her desk daily with a sign reading, “I can help!” attached to the top of her cubicle divider for all her co-workers to see.
That’s the mentality Rebecca Thieman, community connections trainer in the community inclusion department at the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities, has when she receives a request from a disabled resident for any need or want they may have through the Friends Allies and Neighbors Network, or FANS Network.
If someone the board serves needs food, hygiene products, a new couch, concert tickets, social opportunities, among other things, it’s the job of the FANS Network to “make it happen for little to no money,” Mrs. Thieman said.
She and her co-workers work to help clients like Richard Kujawa, who needed a new mattress after using the same one for 15 years, Mr. Kujawa said.
For years, he woke up with back pain, but since he got the mattress, Mr. Kujawa said he doesn’t feel as uncomfortable in the morning anymore.
He told his service and support specialist, which was provided by the board, he needed a new mattress, Mr. Kujawa said.
A specialist then submitted a request for a new mattress on his behalf to the FANS Network, which approved his request the next day.
“It is just so weird because, other than the normal pains, I don’t wake up with back pain anymore,” he said.
Mr. Kujawa said it was a big help because money was “getting tight,” and he didn’t feel he could afford it on top of his other expenses.
Mr. Kujawa was one of several clients to receive new mattresses as a result of a donation by the Sealy mattress company, which donated 10 queen-sized mattresses and 10 twin extra-large mattresses in April.
“It’s amazing to me that the amount of money you get from, whether it’s your job or the state, doesn't cover everything you need,” Mrs. Thieman said. “By the time you pay your bills, there’s not anything left. How do you buy that shampoo? How do you buy those cleaning supplies?”
The network has a small shed on the Board of Developmental Disabilities’ property filled with board games and mattresses, among many other donated items from individuals or community organizations.
Mrs. Thieman said that in 2023, the FANS Network fulfilled 256 requests using that shed and its hygiene cabinet located in the office.
Suzanne Osenbaugh, a community connections trainer for the board, remembers when Mrs. Thieman helped a 3-year-old client who loves monster trucks attend a monster truck show with 12 family members, which was completely paid for by the Huntington Center, where the show was held.
“Huntington Center donated the suite and the food for the suite and the tickets,” Ms. Osenbaugh said. “It wouldn’t have happened if Becky [Mrs. Thieman] wouldn’t have stepped out of her comfort zone and asked people to make [other] peoples’ day.”
Mrs. Thieman said donations are critical for the FANS Network to provide clients with things they might need, such as pots and pans, toilet paper, and even concert tickets.
The network is only funded once a year through its annual silent auction, Mrs. Thieman said, which is coming up on June 17 in conjunction with the 25th annual Goodwill Summer Classic Golf Tournament.
The group hopes to raise $3,000 from the silent auction.
It does accept monetary donations, she said, but those types of donations have to be approved through the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
The FANS Network is currently in need of tall dressers, bed accessories like blankets and bed sheets, hygiene products including toilet paper, pots and pans, and tickets to social events, Mrs. Thieman said.
FANS also helps its clients build relationships with others by suggesting different events they can attend with someone, said Vellaree Swarthout, community connections trainer for the department.
Ms. Swarthout said she would like to see local venues and companies in the area donate gift cards to the FANS Network.
“So say ‘Matt,’ for instance, has social anxiety and might be able to afford some things,” she said. “It would be nice if we can say, “Hey, Matt, do you want to go do this or that if we find somebody that wants to go with you? Here’s a couple of tickets.’”
Mrs. Thieman encourages anyone who wants to donate to call the FANS Network at 419-380-4025 or email at fansnetwork@lucasdd.org.
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