New Year’s Day is coming, and it’s always an opportunity for new beginnings. As the holidays wind down and we prepare to welcome a new year, it is traditional to make resolutions for our fresh start in the coming year. I make them each year, but sometimes they do not last much past the ringing in of the new year. Over the years, I have found that the most beneficial thing I can do to start the new year right is to consider all of the items and people in 2021 that I am thankful for.

First, we at Keep Liberty Beautiful are deeply thankful for the over 3,000 community members that volunteered with us even during COVID-19. There are so many faithful people here who volunteer each year. Volunteer action does make a difference in reducing waste that ends up in landfills, protecting our waterways and the quality of our water by reducing the amount of litter accumulating in our environment, and working together to make our community the best it can be.

We are also so thankful for the recycling collection staff and all citizens, schools, and businesses that recycle in our community. Thank you, Brenda, to you and your small team for the outstanding efforts to serve our community.

We are also very thankful for ESG, the county public works, solid waste staff, and public works employees in our local cities. When you stop and think about it, public works employees are often the unsung heroes of our municipal governments. They do so many jobs that we all tend to ignore or take for granted, but these jobs are the same ones that we freak out about when they are not done, so Thank you! 

We also sincerely appreciate the support of county and city officials that support KLB programming. Partnering with our local cities and neighborhoods for community projects ensures successful efforts. We also appreciate partnerships with our local schools to educate the next generation of environmental stewards.

We sincerely appreciate our friends at The Coastal Courier, The Chamber, the CVB, and our Facebook friends. They help us get the word out about programs and events. Thanks to all of you!

I cannot say how much I appreciate Theresa Rapolla, Lisa Choeun, and their families. Theresa and Lisa work part-time with Keep Liberty Beautiful. Still, they both do so much more to ensure Team KLB is successful in everything we do. Liberty County is so fortunate to have them involved because they are hardworking and dedicated. 

 And, lastly, I would be remiss if I did not express my thanks to the Keep Liberty Beautiful Advisory Board Members. Our Board members are hands-on and help guide the programming each year, and they work! Each board member provides over forty hours and more of volunteer work annually to implement our programming. They make our work successful and so enjoyable. Thanks to each of you!!

One more thing — please, please, remember to recycle your live Christmas trees for mulch by January 8, 2022, through our Bring One for the Chipper event. We will be giving away tree seedlings and have a hot cup of coffee waiting for you. For more information, check out our information on www.keep

libertybeautiful.org. 

Happy New Year!