Social Worker Honored for Volunteer Efforts
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The Jay Hoxie Award is given annually to a San Diego County social worker who volunteers their time in the community after work hours. The award was presented Wednesday during the annual social worker appreciation event. From left, Kerry Hoxie, Jay Hoxie’s mother; Elvin Gonzalez, this year’s Hoxie Award winner; and Debra Zanders-Willis, Director, HHSA Child Welfare Services.There are many adjectives to describe social workers: caring, kind, compassionate, giving, dedicated, nurturing…the list could go on and on.
To reward the social worker who embodies these qualities in the community – outside of work - each year the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency Child Welfare department gives the Jay Hoxie Award to one deserving person. This year the award went to Elvin Gonzales.
Gonzalez traveled to Haiti to help rebuild their infrastructure; collected clothes, beds and cribs and started ‘The Closet’ project in his church for needy families; created a “Birthday Box” with gift cards and party supplies so foster children could celebrate birthdays; collects school supplies and food for soup kitchens in Mexico; and runs in the Rivers of Hope Foundation’s 5K race to raise money for foster children.
The other nominees for the award were Gisella Aguilar, Lauren Davenport, Will Durning, Rodney Bates, Laura Quintanilla, Adrianna Alvarez and Francesca Ruble.
“The Jay Hoxie award is presented every year to an employee that demonstrates a compassionate commitment to others by volunteering in the community,” said Debra Zanders-Willis, CWS Director.
This award has been presented to an employee every year for the last 22 years during national Social Workers Appreciation Month. It is named after employee Jay Hoxie, who died in a tragic car accident in 1990.