On August 27, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful recognized Faith Milazzo of Penn Hills, Allegheny County with the first ever Community Pride Award.

The Award recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship by a business, individual, school, community organization or civic group that makes an outstanding commitment to litter control, recycling, beautification or general environmental stewardship.

To nominate an individual for a Community Pride Award, the nominator must be a legislator or public official who has signed the Leaders for a Beautiful Pennsylvania Pledge.

Faith Milazzo

Milazzo was nominated by Rep. Tony DeLuca (D-Allegheny) for her work to address and clean up litter in the 32nd legislative district, including the Penn Hills area, Verona and Blackridge.

Milazzo created the Penn Hills Anti-Litter Group with Christine DeCarolis in 2017 and together they organized 30 volunteers to participate in the 2019 Pittsburgh Garbage Olympics.

The group collected 85 bags of trash and won the award for most team spirit. Their annual cleanups are registered with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Pick Up Pennsylvania Program which provides free trash bags, gloves and safety vests.

The anti-litter group maintains a Facebook page that serves as a clearinghouse of sorts for the local community to communicate about litter, recycling, reducing, reusing, and hopes to spur people into action.

The group encourages participating in litter pickups as a group and/or solo.

Milazzo is quick to recognize community members for their dedication.

“I am extremely grateful for all the volunteers in Penn Hills who continue to show up to community litter pickups as well as pick up trash on their own. I am proud to be surrounded by so many dedicated, caring individuals. To quote Margaret Mead, ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.’”

Milazzo accepted the Community Pride Award at a recent awards presentation attended by her family, Rep. DeLuca; Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and Myrna Newman, Executive Director of Allegheny CleanWays.

“When I received information about the Community Pride Award, I immediately thought of Faith Milazzo and decided I wanted to nominate her for this honor.  Ms. Milazzo is a tireless volunteer who is dedicated to making Penn Hills a cleaner and more beautiful place to live and do business.  Leading by example by organizing and participating in numerous clean-up events every year, she seizes every opportunity to encourage people not to litter and to have pride in their neighborhoods.  Ms. Milazzo is the perfect candidate to receive this award and I was so proud to nominate her for it,” said Rep. DeLuca.

Leaders for a Beautiful Pennsylvania

The community Pride Award is a part of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Leaders for a Beautiful Pennsylvania.

Leaders for a Beautiful Pennsylvania showcases legislators and public officials “leading the way” in effort to keep their communities clean and beautiful, and also serves as a toolbox for leaders to access program tools and resources needed to initiate change.

This initiative encourages officials to coordinate or join a local improvement project, whether it be a cleanup, planting at a local park, special recycling event or painting a community building.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful provides the program tools and resources to get you started.

“Clean and beautiful communities are the foundation for community and economic development. We are grateful for Faith and the Penn Hills Anti-Litter Group for volunteering their free time to improve their community,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “We encourage public officials to sign up to be a Leader for a Beautiful Pennsylvania and pledge to work together to keep our communities clean and beautiful.”

Visit the Leaders for a Beautiful Pennsylvania webpage for more.

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website. Click Here to become a member.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from KPB, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, Discover them on Pinterest and visit their YouTube Channel.

Also visit the Illegal Dump Free PA website for more ideas on how to clean up communities and keep them clean and KPB’s Electronics Waste website.

The  2020 Pick Up Pennsylvania Initiative is postponed until September 1 through November 30.  Questions should be directed to Michelle Dunn at 1-877-772-3673 Ext. 113 or send email to: mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org.

Keep PA Beautiful helps mobilize over 100,000 volunteers a year to pick up litter, clean up illegal dumping and beautify Pennsylvania.

(Photo: Rep. DeLuca; Faith Milazzo, Community Pride Recipient; Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and Myrna Newman, Executive Director of Allegheny CleanWays.)

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[Posted: August 27, 2020]

8/31/2020