05/26/2026
🎉 Congratulations to SaPerior Patton of Starkville, Mississippi for being selected as the 2026 recipient of our Uplift Our Local Community Service Award.
SaPerior is an advocate, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a concentration in Sociology. As a faithful member of Peters Rock Family Worship Center, she serves as Chief Financial Officer of the finance team. SaPerior is the founder of Safe Place Foundation, Inc. and serves as President of the nonprofit organization’s board. She has more than 20 years of experience working with at-risk youth and is passionate about creating positive change within the community.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, SaPerior launched the Earth Angels outreach program. Through this initiative, she helped secure immediate and permanent shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness, provided approximately 60,000 free meals to those in need, hosted Community Wash Days to ensure children had clean clothes and comforters, offered life skills classes for youth, organized Christmas giveaways, and so much more.
SaPerior has received several honors, including the Modern Woodmen Hometown Hero Award, the Key to the Community Award presented by the Business Empowered International–Mississippi Chamber of Commerce, the 2023 Juneteenth Humanitarian Award, and the Y.A.M.S. Women’s Empowerment Award. Most recently, she was named the 2024 “Woman of the Year” by Starkville Daily News. We are proud to add to her list of recognitions by selecting her for this award.
SaPerior’s ultimate goal is to open a community center and therapeutic group home for homeless children. Through her mission, she continues to be a voice for the voiceless and strives to provide resources, hope, and change for the less fortunate. Her favorite quote is, “When you serve others with a full heart, you never leave empty.”
🎉 Congratulations once again, SaPerior, and THANK YOU for all you do to uplift the community.
