ICARE director leaves caring legacy

Laura Bonneville hopes that Morgan Richardson’s legacy will be the continuation of the pioneering work she began with the Idaho Child Abuse Response and Education organization.

Richardson, who died of cancer on Jan. 28, had been ICARE’s executive director for 10 years. Her peers and co-workers credit Richardson with ICARE’s success and longevity.

“Morgan brought passion and spirit to every project she was involved in,” says Bonneville, who is the chairperson of the North Idaho Coalition Against Domestic Violence and is a victim services advocate in the Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

“For me, and I’m sure countless others, carrying on with the same level of compassion, strength and wisdom that she showed in her work and life will be a fitting way to pay tribute to her.”

ICARE started in 1992 with the mission of reducing child abuse and/or neglect in the Coeur d’Alene area. Through grants from the Idaho Children’s Trust Fund and the Idaho Parent Information Resource Center Project, ICARE employs professional family support coordinators and trains community volunteers.

ICARE provides Parents as Teachers services on a monthly or weekly basis, and works closely with Kootenai Medical Center and School District 271. It also sponsors parent education and support groups for parents that are court-ordered to attend parenting classes. These services are free of charge without any income requirements.

Richardson was born Jan. 28, 1948, in Detroit. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in developmental psychology from San Francisco State University, where she graduated summa cum laude.

Richardson’s career centered around helping adolescents and adults who were often victims of incest, sexual assault and/or domestic violence.

Before moving to Coeur d’Alene 10 years ago, Richardson worked at a women’s health clinic in Boulder, Colo., and as a rape crisis center counselor at Davis, Calif.

Bonneville met Morgan years ago while trick-or-treating with her children at the Silver Lake Mall. ICARE was in its infancy then and Bonneville knew very little about the organization. She mostly remembers Richardson’s warm, bright spirit.

Later Bonneville worked alongside Richardson as a board member on the North Idaho Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Richardson was board treasurer and involved in one of the most active subcommittees – the Child Abuse Prevention Committee. She worked hard on awareness campaigns in honor of Child Abuse Awareness Month, and other events throughout the year.

Richardson was instrumental in bringing a Child Advocacy Center to Kootenai County, which served child abuse victims in the five northern counties. She also obtained a grant to hire a forensic interviewer, who in the five months before the grant expired, interviewed 47 children, all of whom were victims of sexual abuse.

Richardson’s life partner, Carolyn Wickenkamp, says Richardson was “the master of unconditional love.”

“I feel the following Chinese proverb exemplifies Morgan’s spirit and approach to life – ‘Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it.’

“Her heart and her belief in our ability to change for the better was infinite, and her love of children was even greater,” says Wickenkamp.

“She had the ability to make everyone feel that they were so special,” adds close friend Kathy Brotnov. “How she could find so many good things in people amazed me.”

Sally Fischer, ICARE’s family support coordinator says, “Morgan gave her heart, soul and time to helping the most venerable families in our community become stronger.”

Her son, Tobin, says, “Her love was greater than just her family; she felt an affection and love for all children. She committed her life’s work toward easing pain wherever she could, always supporting the underdog.”

“Morgan worked closely with several community nonprofits whose mission included child abuse prevention and keeping family safe,” says Tinka Schaffer, executive director of the Children’s Village. “Her legacy will live on – and it has made our kids safer.”