The Community Pride-Building initiative currently has three (3) Project Focus Areas:
I. Community Leadership Awards: as an organization committed to leading positive change in Gaston County, Gaston Together created the Community Leadership Award to recognize outstanding leadership by an organization. The winning organization is presented with the “Circle of Caring” Award commissioned by Gaston Together in honor of this recognition. It was designed by local artist Dr. Graham Weathers.
The Gaston Together Community Leadership Award will recognize organization(s) in our community including government, human services, arts, grassroots, religious, etc., that have developed a project which has made a significant impact on the betterment of our community during the previous year. The project should meet the following criteria:
Leads positive change for the betterment of Gaston County, contributing to the overall quality of life enjoyed by Gaston County citizens;
Demonstrates collaborative efforts among diverse individuals or groups;
Provides creative leadership by utilizing a unique, non-silo thinking approach to community improvement or problem-solving;
Contributes to the long-term growth of the community;
Strives for a process of continuous improvement.
Event sponsor
Past winners include:
2011 - Hope 4 Gaston
2010 - Gaston College
2009 – Alliance for Children & Youth
2008 – Gaston Family Health Services
2007 – Mount Holly Community Development Foundation
2006 – Interfaith Hospitality Network. This group was also recognized in 2006 for outstanding contributions for their work with the Gastonia Rotary Clubs, for the development of the Rotary Pavilion and Gaston Clergy & Citizens Coalition, for the development of the MLK Plaza
2005- Gaston County Schools (& their Community Partners
2004 – Run for the Money Campaign Committee/ Community Foundation
2003 – Junior League of Gaston County, Woodhill Project
2002 – Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, and Connect Gaston/Gastonia Greenway System
2001 – All America City Team: Unity Place, West Gastonia Boys & Girls Club, and Gaston Literacy Council
2000 – Operation Playground/ Martha Rivers Park
Jason Shoemaker Mullen, Holland & Cooper, P.A. 2011 Community Leadership Awards Committee Chair
II.“Pride in Gaston County” Traveling Tour: This initiative serves to enhance the awareness of community pride in our school children. The goal of the day-long field trip for third graders is to introduce the students to points of interest in our county that will serve to build community pride. The 2011 tour will feature stops at the Gaston County Courthouse Community Room, Gaston College and a trip to see the Snoezelen Room at Holy Angels in Belmont. An Activity Book that features 13 sites of interest in Gaston County is given to students; each site has a sketch drawn by Lucy Penegar, a few facts of interest about the site, and space to add additional information.
2011 Corporate Sponsors of Pride in Gaston County Traveling Tour:
2011 Community Sponsors of Pride in Gaston County Traveling Tour:
Barrett Business Services and Earl Tindol Ford, Inc.
III. Proudest Kid in Gaston County Essay Contest: with sponsorship from the Gaston County Education Foundation, Gaston Together is pleased to offer the “Proudest Kid in Gaston County” Essay Contest for Gaston County Schools. This contest is a companion program to the “Pride in Gaston” Traveling Tour field trip and builds on the community pride theme established with that program. Following their “Pride in Gaston” Traveling Tour, students are asked to write an essay describing why they are proud to live in Gaston County.
Essay criteria is as follows:
Style, Content, Spelling, Creativity
Writing prompt - As a third grader, what makes me proud to live in Gaston County.
This writing activity is not intended to be stressful for the students. Each student should write to the prompt based on their own experiences in Gaston County.
Each third grade teacher should provide students with adequate time to complete the essay. Teachers may read the prompt aloud to their students and reminisce about the places visited on the trip or other points of interest described in the “Pride in Gaston” Traveling Tour Activity Book; however, students must plan and develop their own essay.
Each school selects and enters ONLY one winning easy to the selection committee.
The selection committee, composed of community representatives, selects the overall county-wide winner.
The winners from each school along with their parents, principals, and teachers are invited to Gaston Together’s Annual Community Leadership Awards Dinner which takes place in the spring at the Gaston Country Club. At the dinner, all school winners receive special recognition. The overall county-wide winner is announced at that event.
Dr. Darial Jackson 2011 Chair of Essay Contest Selection Committee Chair Pastor, St. John's Missionary Baptist Church
2011 Essay Contest Winner was Soleil Mobley of Chapel Grove Elementary: Soleil was invited by NC Senator, Kathy Harrington to come to Raleigh for a tour. She was honored at the 2011 Gaston Together Community Leadership Awards Event. She will read her essay at an upcoming Gaston County Commissioner's Meeting.
