Every first Saturday of the Month is the Liberty County Proud & Healthy 5K Fun Run/ Walk and I enjoy seeing all the families and people who come out to participate. I wonder how many will make this event their New Year Resolution or their New Beginning. At Keep Liberty Beautiful this year we are looking over what happen during 2018 and seeing how we can start our New Beginning.
First, we have to thank our over 4,500 local citizens that volunteered with Keep Liberty Beautiful this past year. I looked up the meaning for volunteering, and it stated that volunteering is generally considered a great activity where an individual or group provides services for no financial or social gain. Volunteering with KLB promotes community involvement by reducing waste that ends up in landfills, protecting our waterways and the quality of our water by reducing the amount of litter gathering in our environment.
Looking over the recycling collection numbers for the year we at KLB would like to thank the recycling collection staff, all of the citizens, schools, and businesses that recycle in our community. Brenda, you and your staff do a remarkable job serving Liberty County. We say “Thank You” to the county public works and solid waste staff; because we appreciate all the hard work you do to keep Liberty County clean and beautiful.
Without the support of county and city officials Keep Liberty Beautiful could not be the award winning program it is today and we appreciate your assistance. For us to continue to have successful community projects it takes our local cities, schools, and neighborhoods to partner together like we have in the past and KLB appreciate those partnerships.
We sincerely appreciate our friends at The Coastal Courier, The Chamber and the CVB, and our Facebook friends that help us get the word out about programs and events. Thanks to all of you!
With me joining KLB in the middle of the year Sara Swida ensured I had everything I need to do my job at Keep Liberty Beautiful. I am so grateful to her and appreciate everything she has taught me throughout my years of volunteering with KLB. I also had to rely on two outstanding workers Samuel “Chase” McDuffie and Bobby Reynolds. I appreciate all the hard work and dedication you two have given to Keep Liberty Beautiful and to me. I would also like to thank our two youth Green Leaders. First, thanks to Victoria Hannes for coming out to KLB events and sharing the information with her classmates. Also thanks to Simon Steele for wanting to be a KLB Volunteer first (Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Steele for see the value of being a volunteer) and coming to work with KLB two to three times a week.
Another group of wonderful people I would like to thank is our outstanding Keep Liberty Beautiful Advisory Board Members.These great Liberty County citizens not only help guide the programming each year, they are a working board. Each board member provides over 40 hours of volunteer work annually to implement our programming.They make our work successful and so enjoyable. Thanks to each of you: David Sapp, Willa Lewis, Willie Cato, Pearl Axson, Isaac Barnes, Leah Poole, Crystal Caine, Margaret Bess, Gloria Cook-Osbourne, Mike Davis, Genese Lane, Lillian Gray, Wendy Kirkby, Ashley Hoppers, Kasey Bozeman, Charm Reed, Renee Harwell, Patricia Nash, Kimberly McGlothlin, Joseph Harris, Dante Wright, and Nichole Gaskin.
There is one more thing I would like to share, please remember to recycle your live Christmas trees for mulch by January 12 through our Bring One for the Chipper event. On January 12 we are giving away Dogwoods and Swamp Chestnut Oak seedlings, and vegetable and flower seeds while supplies last. For more information contact Keep Liberty Beautiful at 912-880-4888, email: klcb@libertycountyga.com, or online at www.keeplibertybeautiful.org.