Benefits & Impact

The Sullivan Renaissance beautification program continues to foster successful community pride and awareness because participants work together for the larger good of Sullivan County.

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Photo One 2011 Awards Ceremony
Liberty, NY 2011

Solar Renaissance
Sullivan Renaissance partners with NYSERDA

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Sullivan Renaissance

< Getting Started

Sullivan Renaissance is a county-wide program that tests the proposition that citizens can create and shape the communities in which they live. It does this by challenging organizations and individuals to enhance the appearance of their communities while building a sense of pride and spirit.

Since 2001, Sullivan Renaissance has sponsored beautification projects in all 15 towns and six villages in Sullivan County.

Community Beautification Program

The core of our program is a beautification contest in which communities compete to create the “best project” in their size and category. This process runs from submission of applications in March through the judging of completed projects in August.
Hundreds of these community beautification projects have been funded through Sullivan Renaissance seed grants ranging from $200 to $10,000. Since 2001, communities have built on these initial grants by raising and spending millions of dollars in their communities. The catalytic effect of the seed grants has enabled volunteers to tackle and complete projects that have transformed hamlets, built parks and changed main streets.
Sullivan Renaissance emphasizes planning, development and community involvement. Each project requires collaboration among two or more groups; many have seen participation from multiple organizations. There are thousands of active volunteers throughout Sullivan County.
A panel of expert judges reviews the completed projects and determines the winners, which receive additional grants to be used for community purposes. Corporate and government support enable additional projects to be funded and recognize communities that address stewardship issues such as historic preservation, the environment and best garden design. A special Showing of Flowers Award is given to the community with the best overall flowers. All of the participants are recognized.

Maintenance Program

Sullivan Renaissance also recognizes the hard work and dedication needed to maintain projects over the years. Established groups with a history of participation with Sullivan Renaissance can meet their needs by applying through the Maintenance Program, instead of through the Community Beautification Program. A separate application, completion of a Maintenance Assessment Form, site visit and interview are required. Maintenance support is awarded based on the needs identified through the application process.

Environmental Initiatives

Since 2008 Sullivan Renaissance has been addressing issues with a “green focus” in part through educational seminars and expos. For several years, Sullivan Renaissance has offered a limited number of grants for grassroots efforts to promote environmental stewardship through projects or programs that raise community awareness and involvement. These grants also fund tree planting initiatives and community vegetable gardens.
Sullivan Renaissance staff have taken the initative in several special environmental projects:
- Solar Renaissance Lamp Post Demonstration Project
- A year-long field study of a fully electric zero-emission Mini Cooper conducted by the BMW Group in 2009 and 2010
- Helped support a series of public forums on the issue of horizontal natural gas drilling
- Assisted with drafting and rolling out the Open Space Plan for Sullivan County
Many of these programs have been done in partnership with other organizations and businesses, including: Basha Kill Area Association, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Catskill Mountainkeeper, The Center for Discovery, Clearwater, Delaware Highlands Conservancy, The Eagle Institute, Manza Family Farm, Sullivan Alliance for Sustainable Development and Sullivan County Division of Planning and Environmental Management.
Staff from Sullivan Renaissance, Bethel Woods and Granite Associates partnered for training on green initiatives provided by Evadne Giannini of Hospitality Green. Over the course of several months the team learned about waste reduction, energy conservation, environmentally preferred products and operations. They also visited a composting facility in Delaware County which has helped to reduce the county’s solid waste by 65%! Through this program several initiatives were identified to help the Liberty and Bethel facilities become more “green.” In addition to energy saving and waste reduction initiatives, both Liberty and Bethel implemented efforts to “take back the tap” or “Kick the Bottle!”

Youth Involvement

Sullivan Renaissance encourages youth participation by making it a criteria at the core of our program. Involvement of young people is also encouraged through various youth focused initiatives including specific grants for schools, collaborating with youth organizations and recruiting young people to serve on our Steering Committee.
Sullivan Renaissance collaborates with the Center for Workforce Development to offer a gardening internship and youth development program for communities receiving funding for beautification and community development projects. Interns work alongside volunteers and community leaders to assist with gardening and project maintenance. During this time they also participate in a leadership development program and community service project. Since 2005, 139 internships have been served by youth in Sullivan County.

Scholarships

Since 2003, Sullivan Renaissance has collaborated with the Sullivan County Community College Foundation to award scholarships to SUNY Sullivan for individual participation in a Sullivan Renaissance project.
Sullivan Renaissance collaborates with the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan Counties to offer a number of Sullivan Renaissance Scholarships to volunteers that have helped a Sullivan Renaissance project in a significant way.

Support for Communities

Monthly seminars with topics that include gardening, planning, fundraising and securing volunteers are held for community groups and the public.
The Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce partners with Sullivan Renaissance in a Merchant Discount Program that provides groups with reductions of 10% to 30% or more on products and services used to clean up and beautify their communities.
The Sullivan Renaissance public awareness campaign includes a special emphasis on volunteerism and flowers, both of which are depicted in a print campaign. “Do Something Good” by the Somerville Brothers continues to be a successful musical bed for on-air segments of the campaign.

Other Programs

The Mini-Grant Program offers reimbursement grants up to $200 for those that would like to participate at a “mini” level by landscaping, planting flowers, or sprucing up. Businesses are eligible to apply. Preference is given to new applicants that provide matching funds and/or services.
Seasonal Demonstration Grants up to $2,500 assist summer camps, bungalow colonies and seasonal businesses with beautification improvements that demonstrate best practices for other seasonal properties throughout Sullivan County. This is a matching and reimbursable grant program.
Technical Assistance Grants are matching grants up to $2,500. These are available to Sullivan Renaissance projects for professional expertise and assistance with planning, engineering, design, renderings or organizational development.
Community Development Grants up to $5,000 are awarded to experienced groups interested in expanding their beautification efforts into other areas, including downtown revitalization, planning and economic development. This category also includes inter-municipal initiatives or corridor-based projects.

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