KPB: PA Groups Receive $25,000 in KAB/Waste Management Think Green Grants

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Thursday announced Pennsylvania groups received $25,000 in grant awards from the national nonprofit Keep America Beautiful, Inc. as part of a nationwide effort sponsored by Waste Management that encourages local solutions that improve community environments.

Following is a list of Pennsylvania recipients--

-- $10,000 to Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful: "Please Touch Garden" Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia will create a sustainable learning environment space containing butterfly boxes, an outdoor cooking area with raised planters and a garden with edible plants and medicinal herbs.

-- $10,000 to Keep York Beautiful: An organic, urban farming operation will address the complex interactions between nature, the economy and York County’s food system to foster an increase in community and home gardening and use of native plants to replace conventional garden selections.

-- $5,000 to the City of Greensburg: Greensburg-Salem School District will implement a single stream recycling program throughout the District.

“We are thankful to Waste Management and Keep America Beautiful for making this grant program available. Hands-on projects, such as these, will help to build greater civic pride, create a healthier environment, improve the quality of life locally and ultimately help build sustainable livable communities,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep PA Beautiful.

The Think Green grants are open to Keep America Beautiful affiliates and non-affiliate partners, recognize innovative or comprehensive programs to beautify and improve business areas, neighborhoods or public spaces and to increase recycling or recycling education in communities.

Grant criteria included evidence of sustainability of the project after grant funding terminates and the use of partnerships to leverage the scope, size and duration of the project. A total of $300,000 was awarded nationwide.

Waste Management supports Keep America Beautiful on numerous programs designed to increase recycling and support community sustainability. The company is also a strong supporter of Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest community improvement program.

For more information, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and Great American Cleanup of PA websites.