The Garland Neighborhood Awards are the city’s annual way to spotlight neighbors who make a difference as individuals and, when they combine their efforts, as neighborhoods.
The Oakridge Neighborhood Association, several dedicated volunteers and public servants, and various efforts to make Garland a more environmentally friendly place were recognized Nov. 8 at The Atrium at the Granville Arts Center.
One of Garland’s largest neighborhoods, Oakridge is located between Jupiter, Belt Line, Shiloh and Buckingham roads. Its project to prepare Thanksgiving and Christmas Day feasts for nearby fire stations was recognized as Oakridge was announced as Garland Neighborhood of the Year. And it received the Neighborhood Newsletter Award for its effort to reach out to every household to bring neighbors together for parties and for clean-up and beautification events around the Oakridge perimeter.
Top individual awards went to Shirley Walker-King, Wendy Sheriff and Linsey Gilbert. Walker-King was named Who’s Who in Garland Neighborhoods for providing workshops and seminars to help Garlandites overcome obstacles of gender and race to pursue careers, and for serving a decade on her homeowners’ association board.
Garland Police Officer Sheriff has built relationships through her deep care for Garland’s homeless, tirelessly working to provide a safe place for even the most unfortunate of the City’s residents.
Gilbert, nurse at Park Crest Elementary School, was recognized with the first-ever Sustainability Leader Award. She was credited with leading the efforts to create a garden and learning center at the school to help students better connect to nature and to each other.
2019 GARLAND NEIGHBORHOOD AWARDS
Sustainability Leader Award
Linsey Gilbert – Winner
Reba Collins – Honorable Mention to the chairman of the City’s Environmental & Community Advisory Board and board member of Keep Garland Beautiful
Ximena Coronado – Honorable Mention to the Garland High School student for helping the school district transition to single-stream recycling
Neighborhood Newsletter Award
Oakridge Neighborhood Association – Winner
Who’s Who in Garland Neighborhoods
Shirley Walker-King – Winner
Garland Public Servant Award
Wendy Sheriff – Winner
Robert Ashcraft – Honorable Mention to the City’s Water Utilities Director for extreme professionalism and conscientious spirit of service to neighborhoods
Garland Neighborhood of the Year
Oakridge Neighborhood – Winner
Travis College Hill Neighbors – Honorable Mention for sharing the history and human interest stories of their neighborhood with the original play Becoming Garland Avenue