107.3 JAMZ Celebrates Black History Month
Upstate Black History Maker Wanda Cheeks Recognized February 18, 2007
Wanda Cheeks: Constantly Adding Value To Her Neighborhood

Never underestimate the power of child's play. Spartanburg, SC native Wanda Cheeks most certainly does not. In fact, she has turned play and recreation into a ministry for Spartanburg's Southside Community. It is what she is known for and how she constantly adds value to her neighborhood.

Cheeks is the founder of Southside Unity in the Community (SSUITC). In 2003, along with close family members, she launched this organization from the ground up after noticing a stifling trend developing in the area — the lack of safe places for children to play.

Southside Unity is intended to also promote volunteerism in the area, from the inside out. This means members of the community often go out to other areas and do seminars, motivational speaking engagements and partner with other associations to encourage involvement.

One of the most recent projects of SSUITC happened on July 29, 2006 when the organization partnered with Home Depot, Kaboom, the City of Spartanburg and several other organizations to build a playground. The new playground is located in Irwin Park and provides children with a positive place to play.

Southside Unity also teams up with a local organization, Partners for Active Living, in order to promote the "Walk it Out" program. This effort encourages senior citizens to be active three times per week at any local recreational facility.

Cheeks is an active member of the Spartanburg Herald Journal's Focus on Leadership organization, the Leadership Spartanburg Alumni Association, the Little Theater Board, the Party in the Park Planning Committee for Mt. Moriah Baptist Church and Mary H. Wright Elementary School. Her work in 1999 at Mary H. Wright fueled the beginning of her work in community volunteering, when she served as president of the PTA board there.

She currently works for Parks and Recreation as a Playground Manager. In this role, she also tutors kids, teaches them how to play and shows different ways for them to be active. At the local Northwest center facility, she can be seen engaging kids in activities such as chalk art, hop scotch, and double dutch to stimulate minds and develop imaginations.

Past accolades include a nomination for the national Robert Wood Johnson Foundation award, Mt. Moriah Baptist Church 2003 Servant of the Year Award, and a Proclamation from Mayor Bill Barnet for Crime Week.

She was recently inducted into the Spartanburg County Grassroots Leadership Development Institute for 2007.