Sanford NNO Is On The Map

Looking for a National Night Out event to attend? Here's a map of Sanford's registered sites. Find one in your neighborhood or choose one of the many community sites (indicated in green).

NNO Movie In The Park

In support of the National Night Out program, the Central Carolina Jaycees are hosting a special movie night.

On Friday, August 1, the community is invited to come watch The Sandlot in Depot Park starting at dusk (approx 8:30pm). Bring your own blanket or chairs. The Jaycees will have concessions available for purchase.

This will be our last NNO precursor event. Anyone interested in hosting an event can come ask questions or get suggestions.

See you in the park!

Sanford Takes On Self Defense for NNO

Children and adults alike learned basic self defense techniques and got tips on how to stay safe in any environment at Black Belt Leadership Academy's special NNO precursor event on July 19.

In addition to the hands-on practice, attendees also received a lesson in home security from Capt. Marshall Cameron of the Sanford Police Department.

See more photos from the event here.

Good news: We have added a fourth NNO precursor event. The Central Carolina Jaycees will show The Sandlot in Depot Park on August 1 to support National Night Out. The movie will begin at dusk (8:30pm).

Sanford Wins Support For Community Integration Initiative

The City of Sanford is one of only two North Carolina cities to win a Building Integrated Communities (BIC) in-kind grant from UNC Chapel Hill to lead a city-wide effort to create comprehensive integration plans for foreign-born residents.

The grant will provide the department in-kind support over the next two years with needs assessment, planning and facilitating community workshops, surveying successful efforts in other communities and more.
The support will be provided by the staff of the Latino Migration Project at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“We are tremendously excited about this opportunity,” says Marshall Downey, director of Planning and Community Development for the City of Sanford and Lee County. “We hope to partner with various local agencies and identify strategies to assist our local Hispanic population in ways to better plug in to local government, businesses, and our community as a whole.”

“The Hispanic population has become a significant part of our community over the past 15 years,” notes Rev. Bob Bridwell, deacon at St. Stephen Catholic Church and volunteer coordinator for the program. “This grant gives us a unique opportunity to help these families and individuals contribute and prosper,” he says.

“Being one of only two finalists out of ten NC municipalities for this project speaks to the hard work and dedication of our staff and citizens to help integrate, support, and promote our Latino population,” says Mayor Chet Mann. “As a City on the upswing, strengthening connections for any group benefits us all as a community,” he points out.

To apply the grant, the planning department will hold a series of public meetings over the next two years. The community as a whole will be able to participate and help guide the process.

BIC is a statewide initiative that helps North Carolina’s local governments successfully engage with immigrants and refugee populations in order to improve public safety, promote economic development, enhance communication, and improve relationships.

Ten municipalities in North Carolina expressed interest in the BIC grant. Sanford and Winston-Salem were the only two selected.

Learn more about the BIC grant program on UNC's website.

Community Tours the Sanford Fire Department

Firefighter Tracy Watson with the Sanford Fire Department led a community tour on Thursday, July 10 for National Night Out.

Firefighters are often the first responders a family sees after a tragic event. Tours like these help children feel more comfortable with firefighters and help adults better prevent accidents.

See more photos from the tour here.

There is one more NNO pre-cursor events. On July 19, Black Belt Leadership Academy is hosting a self-defense session for families. The event is for people of all ages and abilities.

Update: We have added a fourth event. The Central Carolina Jaycees will show The Sandlot in Depot Park on August 1 to support National Night Out. The movie will begin at dusk (8:30pm).