New Affiliate to Join South Carolina Network
Columbia, SC – Keep South Carolina Beautiful recently awarded Pickens County a New Affiliate Startup Grant as they began their process to create Keep Pickens County Beautiful. The grant, a total of $10,000, will be used to cover the Keep America Beautiful Affiliate fee in the amount of $4,000 with the remaining grant funds used to build the affiliate’s financial base.
“Becoming an affiliate is an extraordinary venture that can take up to a year to complete,” said Keep South Carolina Beautiful State Leader Mallory Coffey. “Not only does an affiliate community have to have the support of local volunteers, they also have to have the support of the local governments within its jurisdiction.”
In the past, Pickens County hosted many events related to litter, including annual countywide litter pickups. The county also received awards from PalmettoPride for their efforts in preventing and eliminating litter. Becoming a Keep America Beautiful affiliate is another step toward creating a litter-free, green and beautiful Pickens County.
Citizens of Pickens County will be required to complete the affiliate process consisting of two trainings, a Community Appearance Index, a Focus Area Survey, and a strategic-plan, which include goals and a behavioral change processes for their community and the specific issues it faces relating to litter, beautification and recycling.
“We are proud to have this affiliate join our network, and we are eager to see the beautiful things they will do in Upstate South Carolina,” said Coffey.
If you are interested in joining the Keep Pickens County Beautiful affiliate, or learning more about Keep South Carolina Beautiful, contact Mallory Coffey at mcoffey@palmettopride.org.
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PalmettoPride is working towards a litter-free South Carolina. Created as a legislative initiative to fight litter and help beautify South Carolina by engaging citizens to take action in their communities through education, enforcement, awareness and pickup. Keep South Carolina Beautiful is the state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and is housed as a program under PalmettoPride. KSCB oversees nearly 30 affiliates across the state and provides resources, training, and guidance to those affiliates.
Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful strives to End Littering, Improve Recycling and Beautify America’s Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision. The organization is driven by the work and passion of more than 600 Keep America Beautiful affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.