1st City and County Neighbor and Neighborhood of the Year Awards

The Spartanburg County Foundation, City of
Spartanburg, and Spartanburg County recently
sponsored the Building
Communities – Bridging Gaps Conference
Saturday, April 25, 2009 at the Marriott Spartanburg.

The purpose of the Building Communities-Bridging Gaps Conference was to equip residents with the tools and information necessary to: make our communities safe, increase unity among our diverse population, access available local resources, and develop partnerships to improve the quality of life in Spartanburg County. Approximately 200 City and County residents participated in workshops that focused on three tracks: Common Threads: Tying Your Community Together; Get Up! Stand Up!: Tools to Make Change; Hi Neighbor!: Coming Together to Build Community.

The event culminated with a luncheon that included remarks by the conference facilitator, Dr. Thomas A. Gordon, consultant and leadership strategy advisor, and the announcement of the first Neighbor and Neighborhood of the Year Awards for the City and County. The City of Spartanburg Neighbor and Neighborhood of the Year award was presented to Florence Kennedy and the South Converse Street Neighborhood Association respectively. The Spartanburg County Neighbor and Neighborhood of the Year award was presented to David and Cindy Gregg and the Linville Hills community respectively. Winners of the Neighbor of the Year award received a $100 gift certificate to Home Depot and the winners of the Neighborhood of the Year award will receive a special sign designed and constructed by Home Depot to be displayed in their community.


An immediate outcome of the Conference will be the development of a website designed to keep City and County residents informed about community events and opportunities to remain civically engaged. The web link will be accessible from all of the sponsor’s websites, the Spartanburg County Foundation, City of Spartanburg, and Spartanburg County. Information concerning the establishment of the website will be provided in the next few weeks.

The final speaker of the event was Mr. James Cheek, a member of the Community Planning Committee, who encouraged and challenged all attendees to remain actively engaged in the community and to “aspire to inspire before expiring.” Anyone interested in participating on a Community Planning Committee for next year’s conference should contact the Spartanburg County Foundation at 864-582-0138.

For more information, please contact The Spartanburg County Foundation at (864)582-0138 or visit our website at http://www.spcf.org/.