Good neighbors come in many shapes, sizes and forms. However, they are similar in these ways: they care about their community and their neighbors, and they take pride in their home and yards and in their neighborhoods and in their community.
We recently recognized many good neighbors at our volunteer appreciation for Keep Liberty Beautiful. I am fortunate at KLB because one of the hardest things I do every year is to narrow down our top volunteers from the host of community partners and volunteers who help each year. It is hard, because we have fabulous volunteers.
This year, we recognized three youth organizations who volunteer throughout the year in almost every event that we have.
Liberty County 4-H, under the guidance of Kasey Bozeman, is our 2013 outstanding organization. Here are some of the ways the group helped: Adopt Liberty, Rivers Alive; special recycle projects from owls for America Recycles Day to milk jug trees for Earth Day; hosting three booths at Earth Day; competing in environmental displays on stormwater pollution, recycling and litter prevention; Great American Cleanup events; and partnering with us on the Think 30 Gardens campaign.
Midway Middle School and the MMS Builders Club received the 2013 outstanding school recycling program award. Their volunteer recycling coordinator, Joy Kennedy, is like the Pied Piper of recycling. The school recently won second place in a Pepsico Recycle Rally contest, garnering $11,000 for their school to use in environmental improvements. MMS has a history of winning state and national awards in recycling, and we love working with the students.
Bradwell Institute Beta Club is our 2013 outstanding school organization. Like 4-H, the Beta Club is a fantastic volunteer group. Its members also have participated throughout the year in projects like Rivers Alive, our booth at Christmas in the Park, hosting two booths at Earth Day and planting a Think 30 Community Garden for United Military Care this spring.
The club’s Felix Linzan was named our 2013 outstanding youth volunteer of the year. Felix, a recent graduate from Bradwell, has been an enthusiastic recruiter of volunteers for the club for numerous projects.  It is easy to understand why he was voted “most likely to succeed” by his class.
We also have fabulous adult and business volunteers, too. Our 2013 outstanding agency partner is the staff for the DA/Child Support Office. As busy as these folks are at work, they still are committed volunteers for our community. They also help with numerous programs throughout the year and they come out en masse. We love their enthusiasm for making a difference.
Our 2013 outstanding business partner of the year is VIP Office Furniture and Supply. I love how committed Miss Diane and her staff are to our community, and we are so happy that they are always interested in making a difference for our environment. VIP became an Adopt Liberty partner this year and also planted two Think 30 gardens at the VIP office, a butterfly and a shade garden. VIP also sponsored a recycling contest last summer and helped promote Earth Day during its Business After Hours.
We salute all the municipalities in Liberty County that faithfully hold citywide litter cleanups each year. We chose Hinesville as our 2013 municipality of the year because no one puts more into supporting and promoting her city than Krystal Hart. She has just done a tremendous job this year.
Our 2013 adult volunteer of the year is Lelia Jones, who wowed us this spring with her recruiting efforts for the Riceboro Great American Cleanup. A host of local churches in the Riceboro area participated in the event.
Thanks very much to you, Lelia, and to the wonderful environmental stewards at these churches.
We also sincerely appreciate all of the community partners who have supported KLB programming this year:
ACE Hardware, the Alpha Omega Sigma chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., A Plus Educational Services, Applebee’s, ARC Red Club, Ardyss K Bell Relay for Life, Arlington Park, Armstrong Liberty Center, Balfour Beatty Communities/ Marne Point, Beta Gamma chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity INC., Beulah Road Neighborhood, Boy Scouts of America, Bradwell Institute Beta Club, Bradwell Institute, Brewers Tree Farm, Button Gwinnett Elementary, CASA, Canoochee EMC, C A Sittle Landscape, Captain Joe’s Restaurant, CenturyLink, Chili’s, Citizens of Georgia Power, city of Allenhurst, city of Flemington, city of GumBranch, city of Hinesville, city of Hinesville Water Department, CH2M Hill/OMI, City of Midway, city of Riceboro, city of Walthourville;
Coastal Auto and Recycling, the Coastal Courier, Coastal DNR, Coastal Electric Cooperative, DA/Child Support Services, Delta Sigma Theta Gems, Department of Juvenile Justice, Dollar General, East Liberty American Legion Post 321, The Edge, Farmers Natural Foods, Fellowship of Love Church, First Methodist pre-K and kindergarten, First Presbyterian Christian Academy, First Zion Baptist Church, Anderson Grove Baptist Church, First African Baptist Church, Fort Stewart/HAAF Environmental Recycling, Fort Stewart Youth Center, Fort Stewart School Age Center, Forrest Lake Estates, Maria E. Fragosa, Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia Power, Georgia Recycling Coalition, GeoVista, Girl Scouts of America, Goodwill Industries, Guardians In Action, Hampton Island Club, The Heritage Bank, Hinesville Rotary Club, Housing Authority, John and Pam Henderson, Highsmith Foundation, Hinesville Area Arts Council, Hinesville Child Care/Learning Center, Hinesville Day Spa, Holiday Inn Express, Imprint Warehouse, Isle of Wight Community, Jordye Bacon Elementary, Junior Church of Christ, Keep America Beautiful, Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation, Keep Liberty Beautiful advisory council, Kidd Doobie, Lake George Community, La Quinta Inn, Leadership Liberty, Lewis Frasier Middle School green club;
Lewis Frasier Middle School, the Lexington Subdivision, Liberty Clinic of Chiropractic, Liberty County Blazers, Liberty County Board of Commissioners, Liberty County Chamber of Commerce/CVB, Liberty County Elementary, Liberty County EMS, Liberty County 4-H, Liberty County Health Department, LCHS green club, Liberty County Mosquito Control, Liberty County Public Works, Liberty County Recreation Department, Liberty County Schools, Liberty County Solid Waste;
Liberty HeadStart, Liberty Regional Medical Hospital, Liberty County Water Resource Council, Little Treasures Too, Live Oak Public Libraries;
Long County Board of Commissioners, Low County Real Diaper Association, Lyman Hall Elementary, McDonald’s Corporation, MEDDAC;
Midway First Baptist Church Relay for Life, Midway Middle School;
Midway Museum, Miller Trust, Mission Works, MMS Builders Club;
Morning Glory Garden Club, Mt. Zion Church Youth Ministry, New Anderson Grove Baptist Church, New Zion Baptist Church, P. Nash Family and Timber Ridge Neighborhood, Omega Psi Phi, Alpha Omega Sigma of Phi Beta Sigma, Pine Ridge Neighborhood, Pizza Peddler, Poole’s Deli, Pure Platinum MC/SC, Rogue Beauty, RTS Homes, Rye Patch, Savannah Tech, Sisterz with Vision, Snelson Golden Middle School, Scott’s All*Stars, SNF Chemtall, SNF Holding Company, South Georgia Bank, Southern Sweets Bakery, Spirit of Peace Church, Street Dreamz, Taylor Creek Elementary, T R Long Engineering, United Military Care, Vaden Nissan, VIP Office Furniture and Supply, VIP Promotional Products, Waldo Pafford Elementary, Walmart, Ward’s Auto Paint and Body, Water System Management, Wellness Chiropractic, the Wentz family, Yate-Astro Pest Control, Young Adult Leadership Liberty, Youth Challenge Academy, and YMCA of Coastal Georgia.
 What kind of neighbor are you? Keeping your own yard, street and neighborhood clean is something each of us can do to make a difference. Thank you to all of these good neighbors who supported KLB and our community this year. And thanks to each good neighbor who quietly makes a difference where they live.