Meet Denise Schamens and Chelsea Budde, the unstoppable lady duo that co-founded Good Friends, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to creating autism awareness, teaching acceptance of differences, and fostering empathy for individuals with autism.
Good Friend, Inc. has reached more than 53,000 people directly with its autism awareness-acceptance-empathy message since 2007.
Denise Schamens has three children, two of whom are adults with special needs. Due to her first-hand experiences, she served for 10 years as a school district family engagement liaison for CESA #1. Her insight into the needs of children with autism spectrum disorder gave rise to Good Friend, Inc.
Denise has served as its co-founder, vice president, and creative director since 2007. Her passion lies in her creative pursuits within and outside the organization, which include editing and directing four short films and designing theatrical sets. She is also a First-Generation Facilitator for Sibshops, a university guest lecturer and conference presenter.
Chelsea Budde, mother of two neurodivergent adult children, co-founded nonprofit organization Good Friend, Inc., and serves as Good Friends Executive Director. She describes herself as an interpreter of autism for neuromajority humans, in addition to being a trainer, she's also a writer, university guest lecturer, and conference presenter.
To learn more or get involved:
Good Friend, Inc. https://goodfriendinc.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GoodFriendInc
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/goodfriendinc
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage
Rewarded for bravery that goes above and beyond the call of duty, the Medal of Honor is the United States’ top military decoration. The stories we tell are about the heroes who have distinguished themselves by acts of heroism and courage that have saved lives. From Judith Resnik, the second woman in space, to Daniel Daly, one of only 19 people to have received the Medal of Honor twice, these are stories about those who have done the improbable and unexpected, who have sacrificed something in the name of something much bigger than themselves. Every Wednesday on Medal of Honor, uncover what their experiences tell us about the nature of sacrifice, why people put their lives in danger for others, and what happens after you’ve become a hero. Special thanks to series creator Dan McGinn, to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and Adam Plumpton. Medal of Honor begins on May 28. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear ad-free episodes one week early. Find Pushkin+ on the Medal of Honor show page in Apple or at Pushkin.fm. Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com