Local organizations partner for community-wide Day of Action event, Sunday September 27th at 5pm, Barnet Park

On Sunday September 27th at 5pm United Way of the Piedmont, the Spartanburg County Public Library, the Spartanburg Clergy Initiative and The Purpose Place will host a community activation in Barnet Park around the 2020 Census and voter registration.

The socially distanced gathering will be emceed by Rhonda Rawlings of 107.3 JAMZ and feature live performances by The Purpose Place and AVK Dance Studio. The Spartanburg Complete Count Committee and SC Counts will host a census completion table and the League of Women Voters will be hosting a voter registration table along with United Way of the Piedmont.

“The census and voter registration are so incredibly important to this community,” says Paige Stephenson, President & CEO of United Way of the Piedmont. “Both are about representation and making your voice heard. Together, the census and registering to vote take less than ten minutes to complete and will have an impact on our community for years to come. It’s one of the easiest ways you can make an impact.”

“This is truly a strategic effort by several community organizations and committees to make one last push for folks to register to vote before October 4th and fill out their census before the deadline on September 30th,” said Todd Stephens, County Librarian for the Spartanburg County Public Library. “The City of Spartanburg is at less than 63% self response rate and the County is at 65%, the clock is ticking to get everyone counted.”

“We were confident we could bring the community together to take action through inspirational music and dance if we had the opportunity,” commented Kenneth Leonard, Pastor of The Purpose Place. The Purpose Place Worship Team will be performing along with AVK Dance Studio during the afternoon gathering.

There will be prizes and giveaways for attendees who take action and participants will hear from leaders in the community like the Spartanburg Clergy Initiative, on the importance of meeting the critical census and voter registration deadlines.

“We are also delighted to partner with Pastors Kenneth and Natasha Leonard in highlighting the importance of the census and the vote in the ‘Activate Event’ at Barnet Park,” commented Dr. J. Sanders Parks, Sr. “In our prophetic role, clergy must be willing to speak truth to power and advocate for equity and justice for all. As an active and concerned citizenry, two of the most important actions that we should be involved in is 1) taking part in the census and 2) exercising our right to vote.”

• Early in-person voting begins at Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium – September 28
• Deadline to complete the 2020 Census at my2020census.gov – September 30
• Deadline to register to vote online at scvotes.gov – October 4

Participants will be asked to remain socially distant using circles drawn on the lawn six feet apart and also required to wear masks for the duration of the event.

 

About Spartanburg County Public Libraries

The Spartanburg County Public Libraries consist of 10 locations and a bookmobile to serve the Upstate of South Carolina. Author talks, art exhibits, exercise programs and storytimes are just a few of the exciting events happening on a daily basis. Performances at the Headquarters Library are held in the Barrett Room with a flexible seating plan, platform stage and appropriate sound and light equipment. http://www.spartanburglibraries.org/

 

About United Way of the Piedmont

United Way of the Piedmont (UWP) is a local nonprofit that fights for the education, financial stability, and health of every member of our community. Our mission is to connect, engage, and inspire people to transform our community. We are more than fundraisers. We forge unique partnerships, find new solutions to old problems, and mobilize the best resources by inspiring others to join the fight. We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to not just survive, but to thrive. Learn more about UWP at: https://www.uwpiedmont.org/

 

About The Spartanburg Clergy Initiative

The Spartanburg Clergy Initiative is composed of more than 75 pastors who have either participated and/or continue to participate beyond denominational, doctrinal and reformational lines to address the needs of Social Justice in the city of Spartanburg and surrounding communities.The mission of the Clergy Initiative is to create community awareness of social concerns and address the eliminate social inequities.

 

About The Purpose Place

The Purpose Place is a family of Believers who have partnered in the mission of restoring hope to the community. We’re committed to the vision that Purpose is Possible when combined with Community, Culture, Education, Family, Prayer, Word and Worship. Our charge is to impact culture as we develop disciples in Jesus Christ. https://www.thepurposeplace.net/#/