By: Tamish Sales
Businesses, groups, and individuals know they can rely on Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful for support and supplies for community litter cleanup efforts. However, cleanup efforts deal with the symptoms but not the underlying problem. Therefore, beautification efforts are vital for communities. The term beautification is defined as a process of making visual improvements in a town or city. Research shows that communities that try to “beautify” through landscaping, hardscaping, establishing green spaces, maintenance, and cleanliness generally result in lower litter rates.
This research speaks to the heart of KALB’s mission to empower the citizens of Athens and Limestone County to take greater responsibility for enhancing their community environment. KALB knows that an attractive community conveys that citizens possess a sense of responsibility and personal obligation to not litter. The beautification work of KALB can be viewed through the planted flowers by Champion dealership to the hanging baskets around the square to the Beautification Awards displayed proudly in front of local businesses throughout the county and more. Yet, KALB beautification efforts do not have to stop there. There is so much more to beautify throughout Athens and Limestone County.
There are countless examples across the state in rural and urban communities of beautification efforts — like the block makeovers in Decatur, painting murals and transforming vacant lots into community gardens in Birmingham, and adding trees, bushes, and flagpoles to a street in Mobile. As a Keep America Beautiful affiliate, KALB is positioned in the community to take action to plant sustainable community gardens, plant trees, transform vacant lots, and much more. But KALB cannot do it alone; it takes collaboration.
Three of my goals as the new executive director are first to continue building upon the great foundation established at KALB before me. The second is to seek input to identify community needs and ideas to inform how KALB educates, cleans, and beautifies public spaces. The third is to attract and engage as many as possible in enhancing their local community environment. All ages, abilities, and backgrounds should be able to participate in and have fun while improving local communities. Therefore, your input, feedback, volunteer effort, sponsorship, and donation of expertise or resources are vital to KALB’s beautification work. Citizens like YOU can make unimaginable beautification efforts a reality by partnering with KALB!
So, what are some ways to collaborate with KALB to beautify Athens and Limestone County?
For business owners and leaders, consider partnering with KALB through sponsorship or membership and incorporate Keep Athens Limestone Beautiful into your social responsibility and employee engagement initiatives!
For schools and universities, consider sponsoring events or becoming a member organization and engaging your youth and students in education workshops, volunteer service, or internship opportunities.
For individuals and groups, consider organizing community cleanup events or donating expertise and other resources.
These are just a few ways to collaborate and partner with Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful, but the possibilities are truly endless! I look forward to hearing from you and collaborating with you. Email KALB at KALBCares@gmail.com
By: Tamisha Sales, Executive Director
Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful
April 19, 2024
