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Independence, MO —
Vicki Hon says she enjoys going to work each and every day.
But recently, Hon, a 16-year employee for the city of Independence, was at a loss for words when she received a phone call.
The news? As the program and facilities supervisor at the Palmer Center, Hon was this year’s recipient of the 14th annual Susan Paxton Block Distinguished Public Service Award.
“I really didn’t know what to say,” Hon said Monday night. “I really do look forward to coming into work every day because it’s unpredictable. It’s exciting and challenging, but it’s also very rewarding, working with the seniors and being able to help them continue to live independently.”
In November 2011, the Palmer Center received accreditation from the National Institute of Senior Centers, making it only one of two – the other being Vesper Hall in Blue Springs – senior centers in Missouri to reach the highest national achievement level for senior centers.
Roberta “Poo” Coker nominated Hon for the award after the two worked together toward the Palmer Center’s accreditation. Coker, who also was a close friend of Susan Paxton Block, described Hon as quiet and unassuming.
“It was her vision to gain that status. She was championing it all along,” Coker says of Hon’s work toward accreditation. “All of the employees do good at their jobs, but this was more than that. ... She could see the value of that process. I like to see good people get good awards.”
District 3 Council Member Susan “Susie” Paxton Block served from 1992 until her death at the age of 44 in November 1996. Her father, the late Bill Paxton, established the annual award to honor Susie’s memory and to recognize individuals who demonstrate excellence in city government.
Susie would have turned 60 years old on Sept. 24. Her younger sister and only sibling, Barb DiBlasi of Parkville, remembers Susie doing everything in her life with all of her heart. One day, after her chemotherapy treatments for cancer, Susie rushed home to make 300 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for DARE students, her sister remembers.
DiBlasi described the annual presentation “a bittersweet thing” because the award recognizes those who share in her sister’s perseverance and community service, but it’s also a reminder of her loss.
“It’s always a little heart-wrenching, because there is an emptiness in the celebration,” DiBlasi says. “My sister kind of lived with the motto, ‘Are you doing everything you can with everything you have?’ I look at the people who they’ve selected for this award in awe because they consistently give more than anyone could imagine, with the simple things they have.”
Vicki Hon says she enjoys going to work each and every day.
But recently, Hon, a 16-year employee for the city of Independence, was at a loss for words when she received a phone call.
The news? As the program and facilities supervisor at the Palmer Center, Hon was this year’s recipient of the 14th annual Susan Paxton Block Distinguished Public Service Award.
“I really didn’t know what to say,” Hon said Monday night. “I really do look forward to coming into work every day because it’s unpredictable. It’s exciting and challenging, but it’s also very rewarding, working with the seniors and being able to help them continue to live independently.”
In November 2011, the Palmer Center received accreditation from the National Institute of Senior Centers, making it only one of two – the other being Vesper Hall in Blue Springs – senior centers in Missouri to reach the highest national achievement level for senior centers.
Roberta “Poo” Coker nominated Hon for the award after the two worked together toward the Palmer Center’s accreditation. Coker, who also was a close friend of Susan Paxton Block, described Hon as quiet and unassuming.
“It was her vision to gain that status. She was championing it all along,” Coker says of Hon’s work toward accreditation. “All of the employees do good at their jobs, but this was more than that. ... She could see the value of that process. I like to see good people get good awards.”
District 3 Council Member Susan “Susie” Paxton Block served from 1992 until her death at the age of 44 in November 1996. Her father, the late Bill Paxton, established the annual award to honor Susie’s memory and to recognize individuals who demonstrate excellence in city government.
Susie would have turned 60 years old on Sept. 24. Her younger sister and only sibling, Barb DiBlasi of Parkville, remembers Susie doing everything in her life with all of her heart. One day, after her chemotherapy treatments for cancer, Susie rushed home to make 300 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for DARE students, her sister remembers.
DiBlasi described the annual presentation “a bittersweet thing” because the award recognizes those who share in her sister’s perseverance and community service, but it’s also a reminder of her loss.
“It’s always a little heart-wrenching, because there is an emptiness in the celebration,” DiBlasi says. “My sister kind of lived with the motto, ‘Are you doing everything you can with everything you have?’ I look at the people who they’ve selected for this award in awe because they consistently give more than anyone could imagine, with the simple things they have.”
