Keep America Beautiful, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation Friday announced a major gift of support to the Hill District Consensus Group for Clean Green Hill in the City of Pittsburgh and the Intermunicipal Relations Committee in Blair County to engage individuals in local community improvement and environmental projects.

The Lowe’s/Keep America Beautiful Community Improvement Grant of $5,000 to each organization is one of 120 merit-based grants awarded nationally to support grassroots community improvement projects ranging from community gardens and tree plantings to litter and debris cleanups, recycling programs, park and playground restorations and beautification efforts.

The Hill District Consensus Group for Clean Green Hill project will focus on Middle Hill and Bedford Dwellings, areas that have been impacted by crime, urban renewal, and too many public housing areas.  It will focus on providing new coalitions, job activities, community pride, and healing.

The Intermunicipal Relations Committee project will focus on densely populated areas near busy streets where healthier trees and other streetscape improvements will enhance entire neighborhoods.  Aesthetics, community pride, health, and crime prevention should all be significantly improved.

“We believe that this support will leverage even more resources and labor to enhance residential streetscapes and street trees,” said IRC Executive Director John Frederick.  “Beyond the engagement of homeowners, we anticipate building on a synergy created by the partnerships with our local Lowes, our four member municipalities and their shade tree commissions.

The grant program is being supported by Lowe’s company-wide volunteerism effort, Lowe’s Heroes. This initiative offers Lowe’s employees the opportunity to work on a project in their own neighborhood, helping to make their communities better places to live, work and play.

“Keep America Beautiful is proud of the positive impact that these projects will have in their communities,” said Keep America Beautiful President and CEO Matt McKenna. “We are truly grateful to Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation for its support and leadership that is being demonstrated in community sustainability.”

6/11/2012