Keep America Beautiful partner Lowe’s is funding 44 community improvement initiatives nationwide with $1 million grant program.

Waste360 Staff, Staff

August 27, 2018

2 Min Read
Lowe’s Champions Underserved Communities to Keep America Beautiful

Keep America Beautiful’s longtime partner Lowe’s has donated an additional $1 million to the national nonprofit in 2018 to fund 44 grassroots initiatives as well as Keep America Beautiful’s annual Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest community improvement program.

The donation will bolster the work of Keep America Beautiful’s network of community-based affiliates by funding projects focused on critical, local needs. Since the partnership began in 2011, Lowe’s has contributed nearly $8 million with more than 2,100 Lowe’s Heroes volunteers helping Keep America Beautiful improve local communities.

“These targeted grant projects will provide significant benefits in many areas of the country, both urban and rural, that often are neglected,” said Helen Lowman, Keep America Beautiful president and CEO, in a statement. “Our network of affiliates has been particularly creative in using these grassroots grants to develop and deliver programs that embrace their community members, while transforming often neglected public spaces into beautiful places.”

Examples of projects include:

  • Keep Dallas Beautiful in Dallas is constructing a Therapeutic Healing Garden at the Dallas VA Medical Center to promote the healing of injured veterans. Nine unique garden areas, occupational therapy stations honoring each branch of the military, concert spaces and other features will be developed.

  • Keep Charleston Beautiful in Charleston, S.C., will collaborate with the Charleston Parks Conservancy to construct a community garden that will provide fresh food to local food pantries as well as educational programming.

  • Keep Genesee County Beautiful in Flint, Mich., will complete park improvements identified in the city’s Park Improvement Plan and executed by Adopt a Park volunteers.

  • Keep Winston-Salem Beautiful in Winston Salem, N.C., will use its grant to fund the annual Community Roots Day, during which hundreds of trees are planted in an area needed in the reestablishment of the urban forest canopy.

Additionally, the partnership between Lowe’s and Keep America Beautiful has:

  • Supported the collection of more than 99.24 million pounds of litter and debris for proper disposal.

  • Planted 3.2 million flowers and bulbs and nearly 101,600 trees.

  • Funded the establishment and maintenance of 2,349 community gardens.

  • Built and restored 3,183 playgrounds and recreational areas.

“At Lowe’s, we want to help people love where they live in the communities where our employees and customers live and work,” said Julie Yenichek, Lowe’s director of community relations, in a statement. “Our commitment to community investment doesn’t stop at charitable giving. We’re proud of our Lowe’s Heroes volunteer involvement and the difference they have made nationwide. Loving where you live extends beyond walls and fences, and we applaud Keep America Beautiful’s vision.”

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