History
"Stop the Violence" Collaboration (STV) began its neighborhood approach to preventing community violence in 1996 by adopting to communities in Spartanburg Una and Northside. Throughout the previous three years STV has organized residents around issues such as Prostitution, Housing, Neighborhood Events, and developing Neighborhood Associations. STV's work has granted the organization lots of lessons, however two of which have become guides for our work. The first guide is that if we want to find the right answer's we must go to the problem. For example, we found the answers to neighborhood violence in the neighborhoods . Secondly, communities that come together whether it be to work, play, or visit become more solidified and less violent. This has been proven across the country and with STV as our evaluators from Clemson University have found significant increases in community solidarity in both communities. These findings led STV to apply and subsequently receive a Department of Justice grant to institutionalize these findings in both communities. STV calls this initiative the LINC Project (Leadership through Innovative Neighborhood Connections).
The majority of STV's work revolves around seeking citizen engagement through organizing efforts in the communities. However, STV support's some programmatic efforts in the communities in which they work, such as a community driven crafts class (samples of their work Craft Class), several HOMEwork Clubs in Northside, and a Yard of the Week Contest that encourages participation and creates winners in both communities.
In 2000 STV looks to expand its community building work in Spartanburg and is developing a Youth Institute.
STV's lesson's have also led them to produce some community guides on the following topic's: