TightLines Designs and the Allen Temple Community Economic Development Corporation (ATCEDC) are pleased to announce that construction is complete on a groundbreaking community outreach residence in the Sterling neighborhood of Greenville, South Carolina. ATCEDC Family Outreach Coordinator Sandra Bullock has moved in to her new home ‘Whitney I,’ which also serves as an office and meeting space for 48 low-wealth families placed in the area by the 501(c)(3) organization. Among its many community-oriented services, the ATCEDC team works to bring safe, affordable housing and economic development opportunities to underserved neighborhoods in the Greenville area.
68-year old Bullock has worked tirelessly as an advocate for women’s health awareness, minority outreach, family support and education. Bullock served with the YWCA as Executive Director of the Encore Plus program, which was formed to create breast and cervical cancer awareness. Bullock later worked as the Mission Delivery Director of the American Cancer Society, retiring in 2006. She has also started a transitional housing program for homeless families with children, as well as two non-profits– Women of Worth Upstate (WOWUS) and Pink Ghost Breast and Health Foundation. The WOWUS program was originally a Greenville hospital system program that was formed to bring health and nutrition awareness to underprivileged women in South Carolina. In 2010, Bullock coordinated a total restructuring of the program and renamed it. Today, WOWUS has expanded education topics including information on how to obtain insurance, find a job, and improve self-worth and self-esteem.
Referred to by community residents as simply “Miss B,” Bullock has had a profound impact on countless families. Bullock attributes her success in part to her various career endeavors, as well as her own personal experiences. A 28-year recovering alcoholic and teen mother on welfare, Bullock has a unique sensitivity and understanding of the community she serves. She said, “I am their best friend and advocate. People don’t wake up in the morning and say I want to be homeless.” Bullock’s own home serves as a testament to how people can change with persistence and education. In addition to financial, health services and parenting programs, she helps organize classes that teach neighborhood residents how to care for their homes—from maintenance to decoration. Residents also receive training on how to care for donated plants and community garden space in the neighborhood. “We’re not just building houses, we are building neighborhoods,” Bullock said.
Bullock is grateful for the opportunity to live in the outreach residence, which was funded in part by the Jolley Foundation and Westminster Presbyterian. Executive Director Charlie Warth said, “As far as we know, this is the first effort of this kind in the Greenville area. Sandra’s presence will have multiple influences on the many renter families in our program who live nearby. She will serve as a positive role model, ready informational resource, and a catalyst for increased participation in the local neighborhood association. The feedback we receive through her will be valuable to our staff on an ongoing basis.”
For more information: www.allentemplecedc.org
