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Phoenix Family Housing recognizes three community leaders at annual event.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Phoenix Family awarded our annual Clifton R. Cohn Resident Leader Awards at our annual event on April 28. The awards are given to three residents who are nominated by their fellow community members for their leadership.
This year's award winners were: Barbara Heide, Denise Cooper and Jamar Nevels.
Barbara Heide
Throughout her community, Barbara is known for making people feel at home and part of the community. Barbara knows that moving into a close-knit community can be intimidating and stressful; whenever a new resident moves in she goes out of her way to introduce herself and helps new residents meet other residents. Barbara always is looking for ways to be helpful and to make life easier for her fellow community members. It is not uncommon for her to follow up with individuals returning from the hospital, or to advocate on behalf of individual residents or the community at-large, many times despite her own health challenges.
After telling Barbara about this award, we asked her if she planned on taking anyone to our annual fundraiser. Without a beat, she said that she was taking two residents rather than friends or family because she felt the award was for all of the residents at Tremont Place. After all, she said, she wouldn’t have received the award without them.
Denise Cooper
Every day, there are people who see a need in their community and choose to make themselves part of the solution rather than passively look on. Denise is one of those people. One day, she noticed that kids living at East Hills were walking to the nearest store to get sodas and snacks. The problem was that the nearest store was more than a mile away and that to get there the kids were walking along a busy street or crossing a highway. Denise wouldn’t want her own children or grandchildren to make that walk – it was too far and too many things could happen to them, so she started to think about alternatives. She believed that what the kids needed was somewhere close to get snacks when they needed it, so she opened what the kids call the “Candy Store”. Every week, during her normal grocery trips, Denise stocks up on snack items for the kids. Now, instead of having to walk to the nearest store, kids visit her to get their snacks. The kids look up to Denise >and respect her opinion. Denise is a consistent volunteer with our youth development program. Her care for others extends outside of her own family and she looks after the children in East Hills as if they were own.
Jamar Nevels
Jamar was a vital part of the youth development program at East Hills. I witnessed this young person who entered program unsure of himself grow into a confident young man who felt encouraged by others. Jamar was definitely encouraged by others, particularly the team at Phoenix Family. We recognized that someone who demonstrated his great charisma, high energy and well frankly, his willingness to tell you what he thought could definitely be an asset to the youth development programs. It was his willingness to be different from those around him that made him stand out.
Unfortunately, Jamar’s life was tragically taken in January...but the influence of his life continues to impact the Phoenix Family Housing Staff as well as the community of East Hills Village. This terrible loss to our community has resulted in some unlikely leaders to emerge from several of the young people at East Hills Village. They understand, they get it, that all along he was a leader and a guide. Their leadership is a tribute to Jamar’s legacy. Read more about Jamar →
History of Awards
The Resident Leader Awards were named after Clifton R. Cohn , who along with his son, founded Phoenix Family Housing. Kansas City has many unsung heroes who fight poverty every day – individuals who make extraordinary contributions through their efforts, creativity, flexibility and friendship. Cliff Cohn embodies this spirit. And this spirit of creativity, flexibility and friendship is a value Phoenix Family holds dear and underlies our approach to our mission and our daily lives. Phoenix Family Housing created these awards four years ago to honor other unsung heroes who live not only in the communities where we provide services, but also in Kansas City.