Lowe's Champions Underserved Communities with Volunteers and Nearly $8 Million to Keep America Beautiful

STAMFORD, Conn., Aug. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Keep America Beautiful's longtime partner Lowe's has donated an additional $1 million to the national nonprofit in 2018 to fund 44 grassroots initiatives as well as Keep America Beautiful's annual Great American Cleanup, the nation's largest community improvement program.

The donation will bolster the work of Keep America Beautiful's network of community-based affiliates by funding projects focused on critical, local needs. Since the partnership began in 2011, Lowe's has contributed nearly $8 million with more than 2,100 Lowe's Heroes volunteers helping Keep America Beautiful improve local communities.

"These targeted grant projects will provide significant benefits in many areas of the country, both urban and rural, that often are neglected," said Keep America Beautiful President and CEO Helen Lowman. "Our network of affiliates has been particularly creative in using these grassroots grants to develop and deliver programs that embrace their community members, while transforming often neglected public spaces into beautiful places."

Examples of projects include:

• Keep Dallas Beautiful in Dallas, Texas, is constructing a Therapeutic Healing Garden at the Dallas VA Medical Center to promote the healing of injured veterans. Nine unique garden areas, occupational therapy stations honoring each branch of the military, concert spaces, and other features will be developed.
• Keep Charleston Beautiful in Charleston, South Carolina, will collaborate with the Charleston Parks Conservancy to construct a community garden that will provide fresh food to local food pantries as well as educational programming.
• Keep Genesee County Beautiful in Flint, Michigan, will complete park improvements identified in the city's Park Improvement Plan and executed by Adopt a Park volunteers.
• Keep Winston-Salem Beautiful in Winston Salem, North Carolina, will use its grant to fund the annual Community Roots Day, during which hundreds of trees are planted in an area needed in the reestablishment of the urban forest canopy.

Additionally, the partnership between Lowe's and Keep America Beautiful has:

• supported the collection of more than 99.24 million pounds of litter and debris for proper disposal;
• planted 3.2 million flowers and bulbs, and nearly 101,600 trees;
• funded the establishment and maintenance of 2,349 community gardens; and
• built and restored 3,183 playgrounds and recreational areas.

"At Lowe's, we want to help people love where they live in the communities where our employees and customers live and work," said Julie Yenichek, Lowe's director of community relations. "Our commitment to community investment doesn't stop at charitable giving. We're proud of our Lowe's Heroes volunteer involvement and the difference they have made nationwide. Loving where you live extends beyond walls and fences, and we applaud Keep America Beautiful's vision."

About Lowe's in the Community
Lowe's, a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company, has a 60-year legacy of supporting the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. In the past decade, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together have contributed nearly $300 million to these efforts, and for more than two decades Lowe's Heroes volunteers have donated their time to make our communities better places to live. For the latest news, visit Newsroom.Lowes.com or follow @LowesMedia on Twitter.

About Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful, the nation's iconic community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Celebrating its 65th Anniversary in 2018, Keep America Beautiful strives to End Littering, Improve Recycling and Beautify America's Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision. 

Behavior change ? steeped in education, research and behavioral science ? is the cornerstone of Keep America Beautiful. We empower generations of community and environmental stewards with volunteer programs, hands-on experiences, educational curricula, practical advice and other resources. The organization is driven by the work and passion of more than 600 Keep America Beautiful affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Donate and take action at kab.org.

Contacts
Larry Kaufman / Melody Thuston
Tel: 203.659.3014 / 704.758.0401
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
Website: kab.org  

SOURCE Keep America Beautiful