De Los Reyes is A Woman's Best Friend

/

 

HHSA Child Welfare Services Director Debra Zanders-Willis, left, and 2013 Jay Hoxie Award Winner Charisma De Los Reyes.It’s a wonder Charisma De Los Reyes can find time to sleep.

Besides working as a social worker for the Health and Human Service Agency (HHSA), De Los Reyes has been involved in a seemingly never ending list of community organizations and issues affecting women.

That dedication to her community and causes earned De Los Reyes the annual Jay Hoxie Award, presented to an HHSA child welfare services social worker for commitment to others through volunteering in the community.

“Social workers make a difference in a lot of ways outside of work,” said Kerry Hoxie, the late Jay Hoxie’s mother. “They make a lot of lights shine.”

De Los Reyes’ community involvement:

  • Co-designed curriculum and ran groups for high school girls about preventing date rape and sexual assault;
  • Volunteered with San Diego Youth Services;
  • Trains local organizations on human trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children issues;
  • Lead the Purple Rose campaign to bring awareness to the growing numbers of Filipino women victims in sex trafficking;
  • Started Action in Motion to prevent young girls from being victimized by sex trafficking;
  • Organized an international conference in San Diego on sex trafficking prevention;
  • Founding member and current board member of the Mariposa Center for Change;
  • Member of the Gabriela Network for 15 years;
  • Community organizer for 20 years on issues affecting women;
  • Worked with local schools on the issues of date rape and sexual assault;
  • Volunteered with STARS (Surviving Together, Achieving and Reaching for Success) for girls 12-17 involved with commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking;

The other nominees for the award were Carmen Robles, Jennifer Elkins, Jennifer Whitton, Renee Keester-Wellman and Vina Sandal.

The honor is named after Jay Hoxie, an HHSA social worker who died in a tragic car accident in 1990. Hoxie was well known for his generous spirit and community involvement.

Hoxie worked with children who are in foster care or adoptions involving cross-border families. He was touched by the plight of Tijuana’s children who lived in the city’s landfill.

“He became involved with those children and started building a school for them,” said Kerry Hoxie. “He would bring kids to go to the San Diego Zoo when they had free days back then and he’d get a company to donate the bus rides and McDonald’s to give every single child a Happy Meal.”