Dr. Karen Bell
Keep Liberty Beautiful
When I say I am proud, words cannot express how much I feel like shouting – I am Liberty County Proud!
The Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation (KGBF) will honor Keep Liberty Beautiful with a Trailblazer of Tomorrow this spring. The nonprofit will present the distinction at its annual affiliate conference in Young Harris on May 6, 2025. Each year, KGBF celebrates individuals, groups, and organizations that exemplify efforts to protect the state’s environment through litter prevention, waste reduction, recycling, and beautification.
The Trailblazer of Tomorrow Award recognizes affiliates who use a creative approach when solving challenges, launching projects, or building new programs.
This award is not just a recognition of our efforts but a celebration of our positive impact on our community. The Trailblazer of Tomorrow Award is a celebration of community improvement. The Keep Liberty Beautiful Mobile Garden project is a unique and innovative initiative that sets us apart in our mission to enhance our community’s beauty and sustainability. This project, which was made possible through seven community partnerships, successfully utilized 657 five-gallon buckets and 2,000 plants. These mobile gardens not only added to the beauty of our community but also provided fresh produce to families and individuals in need.
This initiative targeted families and individuals needing access to fresh vegetables and herbs and was a resounding success.
Keep Liberty Beautiful adopted a successful Keep Golden Isles Beautiful model, and under the leadership of KLB’s Beautification and Community Improvement Committee, KLB witnessed significant growth in community gardens. The Mobile Garden Project has provided fresh produce in neighborhoods and fostered a sense of community and shared responsibility for our environment.
The Mobile Garden Project was a genuine community effort, partnering with Target, Girl Scout Troop 30002, the Liberty County Chamber, eight local schools, the Hinesville Rotary Club, five youth groups, the Morning Glory Garden Club, seven local cities, Fort Stewart, three libraries, the Boys and Girls Club, several social clubs, and churches. One-hundred sixty volunteers provided over 825 volunteer hours and the manpower to make and deliver buckets.
Keep Liberty Beautiful was chosen for the Trailblazer of Tomorrow following a local nomination process and the recommendations of a team of representatives from multiple environmental agencies. Nine individuals or organizations were selected in unique categories. This award recognizes our hard work and is a testament to the impact we’ve made and the potential we have to continue our mission of community improvement and environmental stewardship. It inspires us to keep pushing boundaries and striving for excellence.
“We’re thrilled to recognize this year’s recipients,” said Natalie Johnston-Russell, executive director of KGBF.
“Their commitment to environmental stewardship is truly inspiring, and they’ve each made an impact that will last for years to come.”
Each home that received a KLB mobile garden also received an instruction sheet, a plant trolley, fertilizer, and a water can. These items ensured the family had everything they needed to grow tomatoes, peppers, onions, and herbs in their bucket.
Here is some information about Keep Liberty Beautiful. Keep Liberty Beautiful is a community education, volunteer action organization focused on litter prevention, beautification and community improvement, waste reduction and recycling, storm-water pollution, water conservation education, and awareness. KLB has been an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful since 1983.
Keep Liberty Beautiful embraces the goal of Keep America Beautiful: To engage individuals in taking greater responsibility for improving their community environments. Volunteers are the Heart of the award-winning Keep Liberty Beautiful Program.
To learn more about Keep Liberty Beautiful or get involved in its volunteering programs, please call (912) 880-4888, email klcg@libertycountyga.gov, or visit www.keeplibertybeautiful. org, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We encourage you to join us in our mission to keep Liberty beautiful!
Here is a little about the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation. The Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation has a 47-year history of doing the little things that make a big difference in Georgia’s communities.
Established in 1978, we aim to educate and inspire Georgians to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environments. The Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation supports more than 70 local affiliates across the state, and its programs represent 80% of Georgia’s population.
We also strive to engage new communities and individuals in our efforts to end littering, promote recycling and waste reduction, and beautify communities. For more information, visit www. kgbf.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
If you have not joined the pledge to the Greatest American Cleanup, you still have time. This is not just a cleanup, it’s a historic showdown, a chance for us to come together and make a real difference in our community.
Get ready for a historic showdown on Saturday, April 26, at Johnnie B.
Frasier Park, 2002 Shaw Road, Walthourville, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., as the cities of Allenhurst, Flemington, and Walthourville join forces for an epic team up to cleanup! This groundbreaking approach marks the first-ever tricity effort hosted by the City of Walthourville. We are all Liberty County Proud! To sign up, go to Keep Liberty Beautiful Facebook page or website: www.keeplibertybeautiful. org, or call (912) 8804888.