Social Workers Honored

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Child Welfare Services social workers were honored Thursday at their annual appreciation event where the Jay Hoxie Award was handed out. From left: Kim Gallo, East Region general manager; Barbara Jimenez, Central and South Regions general manager; Chuck Matthews, North Regions general manger; 2018 Jay Hoxie Award winner Stacy Hollomon; Cathi Palatella, Child Welfare Services director; Helen Robbins-Meyer, County chief administrative officer; and Nick Macchione, HHSA director.

The call can come at any time. It doesn't matter if you've left the office for the day or even if you're enjoying a family member's birthday party on the weekend. When a family or child is in need of an emergency response, a social worker will drop everything and answer the call.

But that's not all. Many HHSA Child Welfare Services social workers devote even more of their time to volunteering and donating to improve the lives of families in our communities. Thursday was the annual social worker appreciation event and the announcement of the winner of the Jay Hoxie Award.

This year's recipient was Stacy Hollomon, a protective services supervisor with the emergency response unit in North Regions. The award is given to recognize a social worker for commitment to others through volunteering in the community. It’s named after Jay Hoxie, an HHSA social worker who died in a car accident in 1990. He was well known for his generous spirit and community involvement.

Hollomon's list of volunteer activities seems endless. She's active with Big Brothers/Big Sisters and  a Girl Scouts leader. Holloman also works with local businesses and organizations to create opportunities to empower young girls through activities like food drives and volunteering. She volunteers with Days for Girls International, which provides hygiene products for girls in Africa.

Holloman also helps clean beaches and works on environmental causes with I Love a Clean San Diego and volunteers preparing meals for the San Diego Food Bank.

"She does some amazing things, heartfelt things in this world," said Chuck Matthews, HHSA North Regions general manager. "Her passion extends into our community and in fact half-way round the world.

“She embodies what Jay stood for and spent a large part of his life working on."

Other nominees were:

- Alejandra (Anne) Azemi, Centralized Child Welfare. Azemi volunteers with families, youth and students from other countries. She's helped refugees from Africa to resettle in the San Diego Community and adjust to the culture. She and her husband also host a foreign exchange student every year.

- Karen Norkowski, South Region. Norkowski and her children volunteer with their church to cook and deliver meals. She traveled to Mexico last year to build a home for a family, also with her church.

- Marisa Rosales, Central Region. Rosales owns a classic 1947 Hudson and as a member of Duke's Car Club, uses her vehicle to promote events that help children, Wounded Warriors and homeless adults. They also adopt families at Thanksgiving and serve meals downtown.

- Karen Hockensmith, East Region. For the last five years, Hockensmith has done fundraising for non-profits that work in international communities to improve the lives of refugees by teaching them agricultural skills. She volunteers with Kids Alive, an organization that provides for orphaned and abandoned children, and raised money last year for hurricane victims in Puerto Rico and international medical assistance.

Foster Care Eligibility workers were also honored for their volunteer efforts. Alejandro Mojarro-Mercado and his family show their appreciation for first responders every holiday season by baking cookies for their local fire station. He also helps keep the neighborhood around his church in Linda Vista clean. Marlena Jones has served a mentor in her church for the past two years. This year she's participating in a 28-mile, one-day endurance hike along the Pacific Crest Trail in Big Bear hoping to raise $2,500 for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. 

County Teams Run Baker to Vegas Desert Relay

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San Diego Deputy District Attorney Garret Wong, a DA team captain, runs his leg of the Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay race.San Diego County Probation, District Attorney and Sheriff teams competed against hundreds of other racers in the grueling 120-mile Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay.

The annual law enforcement challenge was held March 17 and 18 this year and included 275 teams from throughout the United States and other countries. The race started Saturday morning and continued overnight until the 20-person teams completed the 120-mile course. Those teams that finish in the top half of their category win a large, glass race mug – and bragging rights, of course.

Historically, runners have endured scorching temperatures as they race through the desert, but this year temperatures were in the mid-60s, with cold winds in the day and even chillier at night, with temperatures dipping to the mid-30s. 

The San Diego County Probation team ran in the mixed category which included 15 men and 5 women, all of whom are sworn officers. The team time was 16 hrs. 16 minutes and 15 seconds. They came in seventh place in their category and in 79th place overall.

The San Diego County Probation team ran in the mixed category which included 15 men and 5 women, all of whom are sworn officers. The team time was 16 hrs. 16 minutes and 15 seconds. They came in seventh place in their category and in 79th place overall.

The San Diego County Probation team ran in the mixed category which included 15 men and 5 women, all of whom are sworn officers. The team time was 16 hrs. 16 minutes and 15 seconds. They came in seventh place in their category and in 79th place overall.

The San Diego County Probation team ran in the mixed category which included 15 men and 5 women, all of whom are sworn officers. The team time was 16 hrs. 16 minutes and 15 seconds. They came in seventh place in their category and in 79th place overall.

The San Diego County Probation Baker to Vegas running team poses with Probation Chief Adolfo Gonzales who cheered them on at the beginning of the race and was there to greet them at the end. Probation Division Chief Alex Zermeno said five of the team’s top runners were unable to compete this year. This is the 22nd year that Probation has competed in the race.

“Our mission was to finish the race knowing that our best runners were out of commission and not to overdo it,” said Zermeno. “When you accomplish something like that, it’s very rewarding.”

Zermeno said the conditions were “totally opposite” of the brutal heat. He said runners were trying to stay warm as they waited for their leg of the race, but the winds made it difficult.

Division Chief Alex Zermeno, on left, said he thought it was a nice touch that the race organizers honored the victims of last year's Las Vegas shooting with markers along the course. Despite an unusual year, Zermeno said Baker to Vegas fosters camaraderie between the law enforcement departments participating and certainly within their own department.  

The San Diego County District Attorney team ran in the Invitational Category. Racers included District Attorneys, investigators – even a retired one, facilities crew, and support staff in the department. They finished the race in 16 hours, 46 minutes, and 46 seconds placing 12th in their category and 117th overall. This is the DA Office’s 20th year running in the Baker to Vegas relay.

The San Diego District Attorney's Office Baker to Vegas team ran in honor of two late colleagues.One of the three team captains, Chris Campbell, said the cold weather was a new challenge. He said those who ran between the hours of 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. had to bear close to 35 degree weather. 

“Not only does it bring our DA’s Office together, it brings members of the law enforcement community together from all over the world. The event is as inspiring as it is competitive. We are lucky to be a part of it.”

Campbell said this year the team also ran in honor of two late members of the DA’s office, Deputy District Attorney Lisa Moffatt and District Attorney Investigator Brett Burkett.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department ran the race in the Open Category. The team’s finish time was 14 hours, 29 minutes and 52 seconds. They placed ninth in their category and 14th overall.

A Sheriff's team member passes off his leg of the relay to another member during the nighttime portion of the Baker to Vegas race. "The team ran 23:08 faster than in 2017, the fastest time for the Sheriff's Department. Almost every veteran runner bettered their run times from the year before," said Sgt. Denese Deal, team captain. "Temperatures went below freezing during the night and in the mountain.  There was even a sighting of snowflakes coming down when we reached stage 15."

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department Baker to Vegas team had a strong finish of 14th place overall.

Volunteers played a critical part in helping local law enforcement compete in the event, both from within law enforcement and from other departments.

The Department of Animal Services (DAS) didn’t send any runners to the race but staff members and volunteers certainly did their part to support the event. While all of the racers were competing, the DAS contingent was high above them on a windswept mountain peak using the DAS disaster trailer to serve as a communications relay point for the race.  

The County DAS disaster trailer was positioned above the runners to support communications.

PerkSpot: Save on Tax Preparation

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Whether you do your own taxes or prefer to have a professional do them for you, PerkSpot is offering County employees money off tax preparation. You can save up to $20 off Turbo Tax online federal products and up to $25 off an in-person visit at H&R Block for new customers.

PerkSpot offers benefits and discounts through more than 400 service providers and retailers, from movie theaters to florists and jewelers. Go to SDCounty.PerkSpot.com and shop. If you are new, click on “Create an Account” to register.

Each month, one of the most popular PerkSpot deals will be highlighted on InSite.

Root, Root, Root for the Padres at CECO ‘Fun’raiser

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Photo Credit: San Diego Padres

Take your friends and family out to the ball game for County Employees’ Charitable Organization’s spring “fun”raiser at Petco Park. CECO is selling tickets to the Padres’ April 15 game against the San Francisco Giants.

The event is open to all County employees, their family and friends. It’s an easy and fun way to support CECO, which will distribute nearly $168,000 in grants to 95 local nonprofit programs later this month. All the funds come from employees, through payroll deductions or fundraisers like this.

Tickets are $33, and a portion of every ticket sold will go directly back to the nonprofit. Don’t strike out. Get your tickets today.

Quiz: Test Your Ethics Knowledge

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Do you know what it means to be ethical? Do you know if you can hire a relative to work under your supervision? Test your knowledge with a short quiz on the County’s ethics program as we mark Ethics Awareness Month.

No need to stop there. Give yourself one extra credit point for taking the Ethics 101 online training. The training on LMS is just 8 minutes long. Add a point for reaffirming your commitment to do the right thing, even when no one is watching. And another extra credit point if you pledge to report misconduct, ethical lapses or anything that doesn’t seem quite right.

If you have a question about an answer on this quiz or a real life ethical dilemma, ask! If you are not comfortable going to your supervisor or manager, or if your concern relates to a supervisor or manager, call the County’s Ethics Hotline at (866) 549-0004. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is operated by a third party, so employees can report concerns anonymously. Employees can also report concerns online.

Mark your calendars! The Office of Ethics and Compliance will host an Ethics Awareness Month Information Fair later this month. The 5th annual event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., March 29 at the County Operations Center Plaza. There will be booths, music, a speaker, free goodies and prizes.

Compete in Employee Basketball Tournament

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March Madness is coming to San Diego County. The Employee Wellness Program is hosting a basketball tournament for County employees on Saturday, March 24 at the Spring Valley Teen Center.

Get a team together to play in the men’s five-on-five or women’s three-on-three bracket.

Don’t miss out on the fun and friendly competition. Team registration runs through March 16. Find more details and sign up on the Employee Wellness page on InSite.

See you on the court.

Too Much on Your Plate? It's Food Waste Prevention Week

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What do your overflowing trash can, a hole in your wallet and climate change all have in common?

Give up? Here’s the answer — wasting food.

It’s hard to believe, but nearly 40 percent of all the food produced in America every year is wasted — much of it bought with our hard-earned cash then scraped off our plates or discarded as leftovers into our trashcans and landfills, costing us money and turning into methane gas that can worsen climate change.

And that’s not all. Wasting uneaten food also wastes the resources it requires: land, water, fertilizer, manpower and money.

That’s why our Board of Supervisors and other agencies around the state have proclaimed March 5-9 to be “Food Waste Prevention Week.” And it’s why the County’s Live Well San Diego Food System Initiative” is offering some simple tips we can all use to stop wasting food.

After all, changing these habits, keeping food out of landfills, keeping more money in family’s pockets, and keeping our environment safe fit right into our County’s Strategic Initiatives — Healthy Families, Safe Communities, Sustainable Environments and Operational Excellence.

So, here are a few tips for how we can all stop wasting food.

Plan and Shop Wisely

You can’t really know what food you need if you don’t know what you plan to eat or what you already have at home. So before you run to the market, plan menus and meals ahead of time. Figure out what ingredients you have and what you’ll need. It will save you money and time, and cut down on having to toss out food that goes bad before you eat it, or just plain doesn’t get eaten. SaveTheFood.com has a “Guest-imater” that can help you calculate how much food you need to prepare, based on how many people you’re serving and how much they typically eat. It can even calculate having leftovers if you want them!

Freeze or Find Ways to Re-use Leftovers

Even the best planners end up with leftovers sometimes. But you don’t have to let them languish in the fridge until they go bad. You can freeze leftovers to use in future meals. You can pack them in to-go containers for lunches. Or, you can re-think your leftovers as ingredients to be used in different meals. Leftover pasta and cooked vegetables can help make a mean frittata. Leftover rice, meat and vegetables can make a great soup, burritos or a casserole.

Got Fruit Trees to Glean?

So those fruit trees in the yard just churn out more fruit than you and the family can eat. Don’t let it go to waste. Feeding San Diego and the San Diego Food System Alliance have links to “gleaner” groups that can collect your extra crop and feed someone else’s family. The San Diego Food Bank has information about how you can start your own food drive.

Compost It!

When you do end up with leftover food and/or food scraps, a lot of it doesn’t have to go in the trash and end up in a landfill — it can go into a compost or worm bin instead. That way you can turn that leftover food into healthy organic compost and fertilizer that can re-inject helpful nutrients and organisms back into your garden or lawn’s soil. Using compost can also cut water use, improve crop production and save gardeners money by not having to buy soil amendments. Learn what can go into your compost.

Visit SaveTheFood.com

The website has tips galore, from “Five Ways to Revive Food,” to “10 Easy Tips for Meal Planning,” and “Cooking with Food Scraps.” It’s also filled with information about how to shop for, cook and store food.