Grant

Scott's Addition logo with urban background

The Greater Scotts Addition Association Awarded $1,000 Green Grant

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Scott's Addition logo with urban backgroundThe Greater Scotts Addition Association is awarded a $1,000 Green Grant in the Litter Prevention Category as part of our 13th Annual Green Grants Program.

Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address an environmental concern in their community. Grants must focus on one of the following priorities: Litter Prevention, Recycling, Cigarette Litter Prevention, or Community Beautification.

Mural of Scott's Addition 1901The Greater Scotts Addition Association is an organization that advocates for their historic and vibrant City of Richmond neighborhood.  They provide opportunities for businesses, property owners and residents of the neighborhood and surrounding area to address community issues, protect the integrity of our neighborhood’s historic designation, support the neighborhood’s economy, and enhance the vitality and liability of the community.

Funds provided through the Green Grants program will be used to purchase and install a Dog Waste System Dispensers for the West Broad Street Green Expansion Project. If not disposed of properly, pet waste flows directly into nearby streams and creeks without being treated at wastewater treatment facilities. Pet waste can contain bacteria that threaten the health of animals and people.  Giving pet owners access to convenient stations with dog waste disposal bags makes it more likely that visitors to the area will properly dispose of pet waste.  The Associate will also purchase litter cleanup tools, such as litter grabbers, to assist volunteers with keeping the West Broad Street Green Project area clean.

The West Broad Street Green Project (Pollinator Park) has made Scott’s Addition more livable by aligning with several goals to provide increased public park space and pedestrian connectivity surrounding an active GRTC BRT stop, and support communities in the neighborhoods adjacent to and nearby the park. They are looking to expand the park further reduce environmental stressors such as the heat island effect, traffic noise, and  storm water runoff.

What a wonderful Green Project, we wish you much success!

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Thirty Green Grant Awards Wrap Up for 2022

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Green Grants LogoCongratulations to all the 2022 Green Grants that were awarded in June!

We continue to be impressed by the ideas for projects and programs that groups submitted, and the volunteer power and sweat equity that they’re ready to put into action to accomplish goals that will improve our natural and scenic environment.  Thank you to all who applied, and for the good work that you’re doing in your communities!

We wish we could fund all the applications — the competition is fierce!  It makes the role of our judging panel difficult, and we appreciate their time and expertise.

We also want to give a shout out and a huge THANK YOU to this year’s sponsors, without whom this program would not be possible:  Altria, WestRock, and Village Bank!

Altria Logo         WestRock Logo      Logo for Village Bank

Here’s a recap of the daily announcements of Green Grant awards for 2022, with links for your reading pleasure and inspiration!

Announced Category Amount Organization
6/1/2022 Community Beautification $1,000 Mill Mountain Zoo
6/2/2022 Recycling $1,000 Northern VA 4-H Educational & Conf Center
6/3/2022 Litter Prevention $750 DuPont Elementary School
6/4/2022 CLPP $1,000 Frederick County
6/5/2022 Community Beautification $1,000 Union Presbyterian Seminary
6/6/2022 Recycling $750 North Branch School
6/7/2022 Community Beautification $1,000 Pollinator Habitat Garden Club
6/8/2022 CLPP $1,000 Dickenson County Chamber of Commerce
6/9/2022 Recycling $1,000 Ridge Elementary PTA
6/10/2022 Community Beautification $1,000 Town of Purcellville
6/11/2022 Community Beautification $1,000 Virginia Community Voice
6/12/2022 Community Beautification $500 Friends of Forest Hill Park
6/13/2022 Litter Prevention $1,000 City of Fairfax, Treasurer
6/14/2022 CLPP $1,000 City of Newport News
6/15/2022 Community Beautification $1,000 Friends of the Lower Appomattox River
6/16/2022 Litter Prevention $500 Town of Pennington Gap
6/17/2022 Recycling $1,000 Dorey Park Farmers Market
6/18/2022 Litter Prevention $500 Keep Suffolk Beautiful
6/19/2022 Recycling $1,000 Upper Tennessee River Roundtable
6/20/2022 Litter Prevention $1,000 GroundworkRVA
6/21/2022 Recycling $1,000 Gloucester County
       6/22/2022 Litter Prevention $1,000 Friends of Norfolk’s Environment
6/23/2022 Community Beautification $1,000 Blue Ridge Conservation
6/24/2022 Recycling $500 Charlottesville TimeBank
6/25/2022 Community Beautification $1,000 Sustainability Matters
6/26/2022 Community Beautification $1,000 Concerned Citizens of Charles City County
6/27/2022 CLPP $1,000 askHRGreen
6/28/2022 Community Beautification $1,000 Downtown Greens
6/29/2022 Recycling $1,000 Children’s Museum of Richmond
6/30/2022 Community Beautification $1,000 Habitat for Humanity in the Roanoke Valley
People building a house

Habitat for Humanity – Roanoke Valley is Awarded $1,000 Green Grant

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People building a houseOur final 2022 Green Grant is awarded today!  That totals thirty Green Grants awarded in the month of June!  Congratulations to Habitat for Humanity in the Roanoke Valley for their Community Beautification project that was selected by the judges to receive a $1,000 Green Grant!

Founded in 1986, Habitat for Humanity – Roanoke Valley has built or rehabbed nearly 260 homes providing homeownership to over 1,000 adults and 280 children. They are committed to their mission of building strength, stability, and self-reliance in partnership with families in need of decent and affordable housing.

Habitat Roanoke is also committed to building and repairing homes in the greenest manner possible and believes that energy efficiency is a major part of the affordable housing solution. The organization’s green goals are pursued through construction materials and practices, recycling programs, and ongoing research for ways to improve all sustainability efforts.

As a community outreach project, Habitat Roanoke will collaborate with the Southeast Action Forum civic group and volunteers to transform a vacant lot near two major roads into a place that will become a beautiful community gathering space.

The Community Beautification project will involve local residents (adults and children) working together to clean the area that was formerly a dump site.  They will enhance the area by painting a mural of sunflowers on a 100-foot wall. Residents will work under the supervision of a local artist and Southeast Action Forum leadership. The City of Roanoke supports this initiative, as does the owner of the wall that will be decorated.

Funds from the Green Grant will be used to purchase supplies for the planned improvements to the new gathering space including tarps, rollers, paint, paint brushes, a stipend for the artist, two permanent trash bins with designed wraps, yard signs, and some seating.  These items along with the work of volunteers and an artist will improve the appearance and use of the blighted area by creating a gathering space for residents that is bordered by a mural of sunflowers.

Now that’s a beautiful idea!  We can’t wait to see the pictures!

Large Fake Cigarette Butts

Green Grant of $1,000 Awarded to askHRgreen for Cigarette Litter Prevention

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Large Fake Cigarette ButtsToday’s Green Grant award goes to askHRgreen in the amount of $1,000 for their Cigarette Litter Prevention Program.  It’s one of thirty grants being awarded throughout Virginia in June as part of our 12th Annual “Green Grants” Program.

askHRgreen.org is a public awareness program of the 17 cities and counties of Hampton Roads that is administered through the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission. askHRgreen encourages environmental stewardship among all residents in southeastern Virginia.

askHRgreen.org is dedicated to curbing cigarette litter and are actively engaged in educating the public about cigarette litter through their #NoButtsAboutIt campaign. There are two key parts to this campaign. First, large-scale cigarette butt replicas were constructed and are displayed in prominent locations around the region, bringing awareness to the problem of cigarette litter. At two feet tall, the cigarette replicas make a big statement that cigarette litter is not a small problem.

For the second action item to the #NoButtsAboutIt campaign, askHRgreen.org places cigarette waste receptacles into the hands of local businesses to assist them in eliminating cigarette butt litter on the ground and in the landscape.  Locating a convenient disposal option for smokers at transition points, such as the entry door from the parking lot of retail businesses, restaurants, grocery stores, gyms, libraries, and more, is a proven way to combat cigarette litter.

askHRgreen LogoInitially launched in spring 2021, the program has provided 48 cigarette receptacles to area businesses thus far, at no charge. This represents a small number of the businesses interested in receiving a cigarette butt receptacle at their location. There are over 100 additional requests pending for receptacles.

The Green Grant funding will help askHRgreen provide an additional twelve receptacles for area businesses, as well as create new outreach materials featuring the #NoButtsAboutIt large-scale cigarette butts.

With cigarette butts being the most often littered item in Virginia, it’s good to see programs like this one that will give smokers options for proper disposal of cigarette butts.  Congratulations askHRgreen!

C5 Garden Plot

$1,000 Green Grant Award for Concerned Citizens of Charles City County

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C5 Garden PlotConcerned Citizens of Charles City County informs and educates residents about issues in the county and strives to become a source of empowerment for the community.

C5 desires to give back to the community and restore historic Barnetts Elementary School into a training and community center with a community garden. Charles City is a food desert, without a grocery store or a food pantry. The community garden will provide fresh, free local produce to residents in need.  C5 members are creating a volunteer network to water, plant, and harvest the vegetable crops and flowers.  Local churches have expressed interest in addition to many neighbors along Barnetts Road.

The garden will use a zero-carbon process that uses gardening paper to address weeding, and use raised rain barrels that capture rain to naturally water the garden using drip line irrigation system. Composting bins are currently onsite to create valuable fertilizer. The process will allow people to harvest more without the intense amount of labor.

Food harvested from the garden will also be used in cooking demonstrations by a local chef. Many people within any community do not understand the cycle of food production and how it impacts their community.C5 Logo

Grant funds will be used to purchase garden tools, hosing, posters to inform the community about volunteering opportunities and food availability, and a storage shed to house tools and materials for the garden in the initial half-acre garden.

C5 estimates that 10 local volunteers will participate, as well as students from Virginia State University who have selected the community garden to satisfy the minimum number of volunteer hours as a directive of their program.

People picking up litter

Friends of Norfolk’s Environment Receives $1,000 Green Grant Award

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People picking up litter To help better address litter in Lafayette Park, Friends of Norfolk’s Environment (FONE) has been awarded a $1,000 grant to continue work on the campaign “Love our City, Litter Free Lafayette Park” initiative, as part of our 12th Annual Green Grants Program.

FONE is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization focused on citizen-based initiatives that build stronger more resilient neighborhoods in Norfolk through environmental stewardship.  It works with community partners to facilitate greening initiatives like strengthening Norfolk’s tree canopy, assisting with litter abatement, and recycling projects.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, like most areas Norfolk faced a severe increase in litter at the same time there was a sharp decrease in the number of litter cleanup volunteers. To further exacerbate the issue, restless residents began to utilize parks and beaches and gathered outdoors in record numbers. Unfortunately, that led to a rise in litter.

FONE LogoFriends of Norfolk’s Environment will work on a joint project with Keep Norfolk Beautiful and Norfolk Parks and Recreation to pilot a series of litter abatement strategies at Lafayette Park that will identify practical approaches to be scaled up in other public spaces.  Strategies include installing cigarette and trash bag receptacles in five picnic shelters, providing a litter kit to patrons using the shelters, anti-littering signage, pet waste stations, and sidewalk stickers.

Funds from the Green Grant award will be used to purchase lids for trash bins located adjacent to picnic shelters. Current receptacles are open and encourage flyaway trash and animal foraging, leading to litter and an ongoing safety issue for the park’s visitors, as well as animals at the nearby Virginia Zoo and the Lafayette River.

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Gloucester Clean Community Bags a $1,000 Green Grant

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Gloucester LogoGloucester Clean Community’s “Bag It Up” campaign was selected as one of the thirty Green Grant Awards we’re announcing each day in June.  Their goal is to offer reusable grocery bags to consumers at the farmers’ market this summer to decrease the amount of single-use plastic bags used during food purchases.

Although plastic produce and shopping bags are popular with consumers because they’re lightweight, and a hygienic way of carrying food item, they can take their toll on the environment.  Many plastic bags are sent to the landfill, fowl up recycling sorting equipment, or end up littering the landscape, becoming a hazard for farming and mowing equipment as well as wildlife.

Clean Community is aiming to help mitigate the use of single-use plastic bags in their community. Through a public outreach program, they plan to provide community members with reusable bags at farm stands in Gloucester.  They want to educate and encourage residents and visitors to think before automatically picking up single-use plastic bags.  They hope to enlist the help of the local 4-H, boy scouts or girl scouts to assist in enlightening the youth and the public by handing out reusable cloth bags at local farm stands.

Green Grant funds will be used to purchase reusable grocery bags to give away for free to the public.

Farmers' MarketClean Community will measure how many bags are handed out throughout the summer. A short survey or outreach will be offered to people regarding their knowledge of plastic pollution and ask why they do or do not use reusable grocery bags. Any leftover reusable grocery bags will be used to hold our Clean Gloucester Day cleanup volunteers’ supplies for our Fall Cleanup.

Gloucester County Clean Community in Gloucester strives to help keep Gloucester County clean and green. They promote recycling and proper disposal of solid waste, facilitates group cleanups and beautification projects, as well as conduct community outreach and education programs for schools.

Way to keep your community clean Gloucester!  Congratulations!

$1,000 Grant goes to Groundwork RVA!

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Litter near riverTo help today’s youth understand urban waterways and how the impact we have on rivers impact the source of drinking water for the city, Groundwork RVA was awarded a $1,000 grant as part of Keep Virginia Beautiful’s 12th Annual Green Grants Program.

Groundwork RVA’s mission is to cultivate the next generation of urban conservationists. They work with youth and communities to facilitate environmental, economic, and social well-being in neighborhoods by changing places, lives, and systems, believing that a greener Richmond works for everyone in the city.

The Green Team is Groundwork RVA’s high school-aged program.  They work as a community-based conservation leadership program that emphasizes urban environmental restoration, job readiness, and service-learning.

Groundworks LogoThis summer, the Green Team plans to embark on a mission to better understand urban waterways and the impact that individuals have on the river that serves as the source of drinking water for the city.  The Green Team will tour Richmond City water treatment facilities to understand what happens to the water before it reaches people’s homes, and once it leaves.

Several key litter cleanup locations will be identified and adopted by the Green Team. The cleanup sites will consist of locations accessible by foot as well as river islands that are only accessible by boat. The youth will visit these sites weekly to perform litter cleanup and maintenance. By including these locations, they are accessing areas that many litter cleanup groups are not able to visit.  It also gives their team an opportunity to experience, grow in comfort, and help clean the river. In addition to the weekly litter cleanups, they plan to work with the Forge makerspace at the Science Museum of Virginia to design litter prevention signs.

Green Grant funds will be used for boat rentals to reach river islands, and to purchase litter grabbers, work gloves, and other cleanup supplies.

Thank you for the work you’re doing with our youth Groundwork RVA, and congratulations!

Man at workbench

$1,000 Green Grant Awarded to Upper Tennessee River Roundtable

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Man at workbenchIn an effort to encourage reusing and fixing items that are owned, instead of throwing the item away, the Upper Tennessee River Roundtable will host a Fit-it-fair with funds awarded as part of our 12th Annual Green Grants Program.

The Upper Tennessee River Roundtable provides environmentally beneficial programs to a wide range of communities ranging from cities to rural counties.  They will organize the Fix-it-fair in partnership with Keep Southwest Virginia and the Clinch Valley Soil and Water Conservation District at the local farmers’ market in Russell County.

The event would have “fixers” for mending, furniture repair, small appliance repair, electronic repair, bike repair, handyman, and jewelry repair.  Community members will sign up for time slots online and bring their items in during that time on the day of the event.  Repairs will be made at no cost to the residents.

Green Grant funds will be used to offer a small stipend to those who are repairing items, as well as costs of signage and repair supplies.

Upper TN River LogoRepairing items gives people a chance to hold on to items that have sentimental value, or ones that have a second life in them, and it avoids those items being added  unnecessarily to the landfill.  The area in Southwest Virginia has a strong community with a love for things with historical significance and fixing things in creative ways so, it is expected that the community would celebrate this event wholeheartedly.

We look forward to seeing how many items can be saved by skilled “fixers” and hope to share pictures of this great community event!  Congratulations and good luck!

Colorful hands and earth

Two Beautiful Projects Awarded Green Grants

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Colorful hands and earthA special focus of our Green Grants this year is to support diverse groups and underserved populations by adding five additional grant awards, for a total of thirty-five awards!Path with children

Today we recognize Pulaski County High School, a public high school who will receive $1,000 for their “Sensory Trail” Community Beautification project.  They began converting overgrown walking paths behind the school to a handicap-accessible trail and native plant oasis. The Sensory Trail is designed for people with disabilities, and follows ADA compliances.

Pulaski County High School will use their grant funds to add native plants, with a focus on pollinator-friendly perennials. They will set up poles and ropes to mark the Sensory Trail, and add educational exhibits along the pathway. The trail will serve as a much-needed outdoor space for students and community members.

Today we also recognize Charterhouse School – Edinburg, a school dedicated to supporting high-risk children and families, collaborating with communities to help them reach their full potential.

Students gardeningThey will receive $500 for their Flower Box Beautification project to restore flower boxes at the front entrance of their school building. Students will plant new flowers that are native to Virginia and pollinator-friendly. This will be an opportunity for students to learn about gardening and the value of pollinators, as well as practicing counting skills and measuring plant growth.

Every year, government, non-profit, civic and service organizations in Virginia were invited to apply for grants for $500 to $1,000 describing how they plan to tackle an environmental concern in their community regarding Litter Prevention, Recycling, Cigarette Litter Prevention, or Community Beautification.  Since 2011, Keep Virginia Beautiful has provided $254,500 for 320 different environmental programs and projects all across the Commonwealth, due to the generosity of their partnership with Altria, as well as additional support from Coca-Cola, WestRock and Keep America Beautiful.

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