06/16/2026
💙 HONORED AND HUMBLED 💙
Troy and I are deeply honored to receive the 2026 Community Autism Hero Award at the Manteca Autism Resource Festival.
While we are grateful for this recognition, we do not see it as an award for two individuals. We accept it on behalf of an entire community that chose to believe in a vision of inclusion, opportunity, and hope for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
When we founded Wide Horizons, our dream was simple: to create opportunities that would empower neurodiverse individuals like our son Danny to live meaningful, productive, and fulfilling lives. At that time, support and resources were often less visible throughout our community. As awareness grew and more families began sharing their needs, we started witnessing something truly inspiring.
We began hearing about and seeing more programs, activities, partnerships, and initiatives being developed throughout our region to support our neurodiverse population and their families. Little by little, community leaders, elected officials, organizations, businesses, schools, first responders, service groups, and families came together to create communities where everyone could feel welcomed, valued, supported, and included.
We are especially grateful to our Mayor Gary Singh Of Manteca, who believed in the vision of Wide Horizons from the very beginning and helped connect us to one of our first significant funding opportunities through the San Joaquin Community Foundation. That early support gave us the encouragement and momentum to continue building.
Over the years, many others joined this journey, including City Council Members, Mike Morowit - Manteca City Councilmember, Charlie Halford, Breitenbucher Regina for Manteca, San Joaquin Community Foundation San Joaquin County Probation, United Way of San Joaquin County, San Joaquin County Office of Education, throughout San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties and comunity fundations as the Manteca Fire Chief's Foundation Manteca Police Chief's Foundation local businesses,'s Market MantecaFagundes Meats & Catering, Raymus Homes, Inc, Manteca Sunrise KiwanisKiwanis Club of Tracy, California, Manteca Property Services, Rotary Club Of Manteca, Auxiliary 6311, Kitty Trudeau-Walker Ivy League Speech Therapy Center Comerciantes Unidos, Escuchen Mi Voz, On The Scene Cuisine,Steve DeBrum, generous donors, volunteers, self-advocates, families, and countless community supporters who have helped strengthen the network of services and opportunities available today.
As we reflect on this recognition, we are especially grateful for the recent collaboration between Wide Horizons and Escuchen Mi Voz. Together, we have been able to extend our reach and support even more families throughout our region.
Through initiatives such as the Escuchen Mi Voz Conference, we witnessed firsthand the tremendous need for information, resources, advocacy, and connection among families raising children with developmental disabilities. It has been a blessing to see parents gain access to services, therapies, support systems, and early intervention resources that can make a life-changing difference during their child's earliest years.
Early intervention opens doors to greater opportunities for learning, communication, independence, and overall development. Knowing that more families are finding these resources sooner gives us hope for the future and reminds us why this work is so important.
Today, our community's commitment to inclusion extends across all ages—from young children receiving early intervention services, to students navigating school transitions, to young adults pursuing independence, employment, and meaningful participation in community life.
This award represents far more than the accomplishments of Monica and Troy Stelmack. It represents what can happen when elected officials, community leaders, County Supervisors, school districts, first responders, foundations, businesses, nonprofit organizations, resource groups, volunteers, donors, self-advocates, and families unite around a shared vision.
Together, we are building communities where every individual—regardless of age or ability—is welcomed, valued, supported, and given the opportunity to thrive.
We accept this recognition with humility, gratitude, and a renewed commitment to continue this work. Most importantly, we proudly share this award with every person, organization, and family who has walked alongside us on this journey.
The work continues, and the future is brighter because of all of you.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Monica & Troy Stelmack
Founders, Wide Horizons, Inc.
💙 Awareness • Acceptance • Support • Inclusion • Vocation 💙
