Hello there! My name is Tamara Owens and I'm a wife, mother of four, and former law enforcement deputy. I started Your Helpful Neighbor in November 2006 after seeing and hearing of a need for this type of service in our community. I realized both professionally and personally that our community could benefit from a service that would assist parents of teenagers and also encourage these teens to make positive choices when parents are away from home. While considering that, I felt that I was an ideal candidate to ensure that homes were more safe while the owners were away. As a pet owner, I know the dilemma of caring for pets when you can't be there. All these things, in a perfect world, could be taken care of by your family, friends, or your neighbor. In the real world, you can now call Your Helpful Neighbor to be there.

My professional background includes working with teens at Ethan Allen School for Boys starting in 1992 and with kids of different ages and challenges at Winnebago Mental Health Institution. While working for Outagamie County Sheriffs Department, I supervised youth in Juvenile Detention and also was a Corrections Officer with the adult population. I later was promoted to a Deputy with the Sheriffs Department and very active in the Fox Valley Gang Task Force.

My family has lived in Appleton for the last 13 years. I am active in my church and volunteer with the youth ministry there also. My children attend public school and I am involved in various PTA activities there as well as volunteer with the Girl Scouts. My passion is to deter youth from underage alcohol and other drug abuse.

Our family pets include two dogs, 1 cat, and 5 fish.