When it comes to awards, images of the Heisman Trophy, the Stanley Cup and the Tour De France yellow jersey are sure to come to mind. But what about the John A. Sasso National Community Development Week Award?

While the other awards mentioned above may get better name recognition, the Sasso Award, named for the founder of the National Community Development Association (NCDA), is the one that can have a large impact on the lives of Arlington residents.

"The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) provides a flexible funding source for cities to meet priority community needs such as housing, community development and job creation. In Arlington, CDBG projects have ranged from neighborhood parks, sidewalks and streets, to housing rehabilitation for homeowners, transportation, education, and health-related services for low and moderate-income residents," said Grants Manager Sheryl Kenny. "Arlington won the award for effective and innovative use of CDBG funds as well as for efforts to involve the community in celebrating the successes of the CDBG program during National Community Development week and the 40th Anniversary of CDBG. The City also received the award in 2012 for a comprehensive approach to revitalizing a low-income target area in Central Arlington."

Perhaps the best example of how CDBG money is currently being put to work is the newly renovated Drop-out Prevention and Educational Center. Located at 600 New York Avenue, the center, which was once a vacant, substandard building, was transformed into a state-of-the-art learning facility that has helped more than 600 low-income youth and adult students.

"The Dropout Prevention and Educational Center will give students an opportunity to obtain their High School diploma or GED on a schedule that meets their needs. The program is customized, so that youth who have dropped out and adults who were never able to graduate can return to school and further their education," said Kenny. "The center would not have been possible without the City's partnership with the Arlington ISD. It is a great example of a City-School District partnership that will benefit low-income youth and adult students for many years."