VerHelst and Giddings named Thornblade winners

Posted January 31, 2012
Mike VerHelst, Nora Springs, and Cathy Giddings, rural Humboldt, recently received Tom Thornblade Awards from Opportunity Village for outstanding job performance in support of people with disabilities.

Mike VerHelst
VerHelst has worked as a Maintenance Technician since 2003 at the Village in Clear Lake.  "Mike is always one of the first in the door when a job needs to be done," reported one of his nominators.  "He always has a smile on his face. When others are stressed, he's great at bringing down the stress level."  Another nomination said, "Mike is the 'go to' guy when a strange request is asked."  Recently he worked with a group of Iowa State University engineering students and several Village staff, to have input into a project designing a new piece of equipment for a woman served by the Village.

The second Thornblade Award of 2012 went to Cathy Giddings, who works as a Personal Support Professional at Northwoods Living in Fort Dodge.  She has been employed by NWL, now a service of Opportunity Village, since NWL opened in 1989. During that time, she has been a major cheerleader for the organization and good services to clients. One of her nominators said, "She always wears a smile on her face; she brightens every room she enters...Non-profit organizations represent what is best about this country: generosity, compassion, vision, and the eternal optimism that we can resolve our most serious problems.  Cathy Giddings is a true representation of what is best about Opportunity Village!"
Cathy Giddings


Another one commented, "She maintains professionalism by maintaining focus on the job at hand and by not allowing emotions to negatively impact her interactions with others....After all of the years of working here, she continues to demonstrate enthusiasm for her job and working with those who receive services and maintaining positive relationships with her co-workers."  
 
Opportunity Village awards several Thornblade Awards during the year to staff members who exemplify the caring and dedication demonstrated by the late Tom Thornblade, a longtime employee. The award is made possible with a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Martin Koldyke.

For more information about nominating a Village employee for this award, contact Kari Wellington, 641-355-1261, kwellington@oppvill.org.

The Village, based in Clear Lake, Iowa, serves more than 600 people with disabilities throughout northern Iowa, providing supports for daily living, work opportunities, and training.