Placement: Proclamations and Special presentations
Action Requested: Discussion
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Awards Presentation - Neighborhood Improvement Community Engagement (NICE Awards)
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Submitted By: Bolivar Gomez, Project Manager
Strategic Plan Link: The City's Goal for vibrant neighborhoods.
Executive Summary (General Business): At the April 22nd City Council meeting, Neighborhood Services Department staff will recognize the recipients of the 2023 NICE Awards.
Presentation Information: Staff will give an overview of the NICE Awards Program and present the recipients their respective award. The awards recognition will take approximately 5 minutes.
Background: The Neighborhood Improvement Community Engagement (NICE) Awards celebrates the vibrant, diverse neighborhoods that contribute to Port St. Lucie’s unique charm and recognizes the people, programs and accomplishments to help individual neighborhoods and the overall community. The Neighborhood Services Department is pleased to recognize and award those persons or organizations for contributing towards making our neighborhoods more vibrant.
Issues/Analysis: Residents were encouraged to nominate neighbors and/or organizations or groups for each of the available award categories. The following award categories were available for nomination: 1). NICE Community Involvement Award, 2). NICE Contributor of the Year Award, and 3). Outstanding Neighbor of the Year Award. A fourth award, Neighborhood of the Year Award, is awarded each year to the neighborhood with the highest participation in the annual Keep Port St. Lucie - Caring Community Cleanup Day event. Nomination submissions were accepted from September 4th through December 4th, 2023, and applications were available on the Neighborhood Services Department - NICE webpage. Following the submission deadline, an Awards Review Committee consisting of staff from Neighborhood Services, Public Works, Utility Systems, and Communications Department evaluated each submission and scored each entry using the established scoring criteria. The following are the 2023 NICE Award Recipients:
NICE Community Involvement Award - Rising Up From Silence (RUFS) Foundation. The RUFS Foundation was established to help victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. They have year-round fundraisers that bring a sense of unity to the community, such as turkey giveaways, BINGO nights, Silent Auctions, and have also recently opened up a thrift store. The RUFS Foundation also hosts a yearly Elegant Affair Banquet at the MidFlorida Event Center with all proceeds going towards helping their clients. They also host a support group on Friday’s to help both victims and survivors. The organization also pays for counseling services to those in need, while providing food, clothing, and financial assistance.
NICE Contributor of the Year Award - #DoYouGiveARuck?. #DoYouGiveARuck? (DYGAR) is a veteran volunteer run 501(c)3 based on the Treasure Coast, with a focus on helping veterans in our community. While founded and based in Vero Beach, DYGAR has had an active presence in the City of Port St. Lucie for the last 3 years. DYGAR operates a weekly veteran event at Hop Life Brewery to bring local veterans together to give that sense of a military family. Each week the group meets up and goes for a ruck (walking with a weighted pack, something commonly done in the military), then return to the brewery for a social hour. Each of the last 3 years, DYGAR has produced large events in Port St. Lucie, in conjunction with local Keiser in 2021 and Indian River State College last year and this year. Each year their goal was to raise funds to provide direct services to local veterans and collect non-perishable items to donate to local food pantries. Over the last 3 years, DYGAR raised and donated over $75,000 to veterans, schools, and other non-profits to support veterans who live within Port St. Lucie.
NICE Outstanding Neighbor of the Year Award - Glenn Magrane. Glenn is that type of neighbor that checks on and helps other neighbors. There are some elderly neighbors who sometimes cannot do the things they used to. Glenn will help cut their grass, trim trees and bushes. He will also bring in their garbage cans. Whenever Glenn sees them outside, he will go over to say hello and do a visual check on the neighbors and make sure they are doing ok and have a conversation with them so they don’t feel lonely. Glenn organizes clean-ups and has enlisted his daughter. The two of them recently expanded their clean-up route in their neighborhood to 5 miles.
NICE Outstanding Neighborhood of the Year Award - Southbend Lakes. Southbend Lakes is awarded the Outstanding Neighborhood of the Year Award for having the highest neighborhood participation in the Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful (KPSLB) Annual Caring Community Cleanup Day event on April 15, 2023. The cleanup event is part of Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup, a nationwide movement to reduce litter in public areas and improve the natural environment of their city. Twenty-five residents of Southbend Lakes attended and participated in the Port St. Lucie Cleanup Day Event. Southbend Lakes will be officially recognized on the plaque that is displayed in the City Hall lobby.
Location of Project: Award recipients recognized have provided a benefit to various neighborhoods throughout the City of Port St. Lucie.
Attachments:
1. Rising Up From Silence (RUFS) Foundation - Nomination Form
2. #DoYouGiveARuck? - Nomination Form
3. Glenn Magrane - Nomination Form
4. NICE Awards Presentation
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in City Council packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.