Rural LISC sponsored the 2018 National Night Out in Greenville, Miss., August 7, with local partner organization Mississippi Action for Community Education (MACE). Funding was provided by a generous grant from the Walmart Foundation to Rural LISC’s Safety initiative. The event provided an evening of camaraderie among residents, neighborhood leaders and community police in an effort to make Greenville neighborhoods safer and more caring places to live. The event included games and activities at Greenville’s newly refurbished green space, Maude Bryan Park, as well as school supply giveaways and the inauguration of a program to connect opportunity youth to education and the workforce. (See the slideshow below.)
Events honoring National Night Out are held the first Tuesday of August each year in thousands of communities in all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities, and military bases worldwide as a way to bring awareness and recognition for all the programs, organizations and police-sponsored activities serving a community during evening hours every day.
Mable Starks, MACE CEO, with Justin Burch, Rural LISC Program Officer, at the National Night Out in Greenville, Miss., August 7, 2018.
Justin Burch and Mable Starks paint bleachers at the Maude Bryan Park work day.
Rural LISC Program Officer Justin Burch with a community volunteer at the Maude Bryan Park work day.
Another community volunteer helps dress up Maude Bryan Park during the community work day.
Shelia Watson, Rural LISC AmeriCorps member, serves popcorn at the National Night Out.
Justin Burch poses with Greenville Police Chief and City Councilman, with school supplies to be given away.
115 book bags were passed out with the support of Rural LISC and Walmart.
MACE staff were instrumental in the success of the event.
Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons (back center) with MACE CEO Mable Starks (front center) and MACE staff, with LISC Vice President and Rural LISC Director Suzanne Anarde (front center-right) and Rural LISC Director of Finance Murat Unal (back right).
Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons poses with MACE CEO Mable Starks and Rural LISC's Justin Burch, with Greenville City Councilman and Councilwoman.
Local youth participate in a volleyball tournament with LISC staff and local police officers on the newly refurbished volleyball court at Maude Bryan Park.
Suzanne Anarde, LISC Vice President and Rural LISC Director, with teammate on the new volleyball court.
Local youth participate in a sack race during the National Night Out.