The 25 communities in 21 counties receiving Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s 25th anniversary grants to address illegal dumping, litter and beautification have achieved real results.

The grants, which were awarded in June, provided up to $1,000 for community improvement projects in their three focus areas of Prevent It, Clean It, or Keep It.

The projects were a tremendous success and included diverse grassroots initiatives that ranged from butterfly gardens to public-space recycling. 

Across the Commonwealth volunteers removed trash and tires from miles of streams and trails.  Dedicated community members planted thousands of native plants, trees, bulbs, and flowers.  Educational trail signage was built. 

Rain gardens and outdoor classrooms were created, all while involving and educating thousands of youth.

In total, more than $250,000 worth of community match was invested in local communities across Pennsylvania.

“As our 25th year anniversary comes to a close, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful thanks affiliates, partners, volunteers and all Pennsylvanians who share our vision of a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania,” stated Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “We are honored to support the efforts of such a diverse group of environmental and community stewards as they work to make their communities clean and beautiful.”

Grants were awarded in Allegheny, Beaver, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Cambria, Chester, Clearfield, Clinton, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Indiana, Luzerne, Northumberland, Philadelphia, Warren, Washington, Westmoreland and York counties.

A complete list of awardees and project descriptions is available online.

This project was funded by Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s 25 in 25 Grant Program with partial support from the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep PA Beautiful or the Illegal Dump Free PA websites.

12/21/2015