Three White Center heroes were honored today at the White Center Chamber of Commerce during a luncheon and Toys For Tots drive at the Salvation Army on 16th Ave. SW. Deputy Jeff Hancock, who returned to White Center after a stint on Vashon Island and helps out at Holy Family feeding homeless, Vary Jackson, White Center Community Service Officer, and Selena Daniels, including her organization, the Community Corrections Division of the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention.

"I got this award last year and felt almost embarrassed," said Frank Cantwell, Principal. Holy Family Parish School. "Jeff was the key component to all this, so this year I said, 'It has to be Jeff.'" It was Cantwell who nominated Hancock.

"I patrol White Center, I came back over here from Vashon a week ago," Hancock told the West Seattle Herald. "BJ Myers is the new storefront deputy. I am the patrol deputy, so I can (also) go up to Skyway and Federal Way."

Hancock, a Port Orchard resident and father of six, said he wanted to clarify some points regarding his award.

"I was given the award for helping Frank Cantwell and those parishioners who work much harder than I do," he said. "They cook fine meals every month and reach out to the homeless at Holy Family. I just show up. We've got nearly a dozen women taking the food they cook to the street. This is a group that really wants to see White Center work and be a great place. I'm just there for the ride."

And while the deputy is popular with White Center residents and is known to even get along well with offenders, he said, "There are many others in the police department who patrol White Center who work extremely hard and are awesome but never get the recognition they deserve."

He also said that the other two recipients are extremely deserving.

"Vary was behind the scenes for pretty much everything the sheriff's office did in White Center. I can tell you that White Center is a better place because of her.
She manned the storefront, took the walk-ins. She was invaluable there.

"As far as Selena, I'd see her smiling all the time," he continued. "She's out with all these people in the correction system who are not really happy doing what they are doing. She'd always be encouraging them. It makes it better for everyone because these guys who were out there cleaning were in a good mood while doing their work."

Her crew cleans garbage and removes graffiti.

"She and Vary teamed up. If Selena had not been doing what she was doing effectively, the people of White Center would notice a huge difference. There would be trash everywhere. Especially after a weekend when Club E (Evolution) was open, it was Selena and the DOC crew driving all over downtown White Center cleaning up the huge mess so when the ordinary citizens of White Center would wake up in the morning and come out they wouldn't realize how bad it was."