Eco-Focused Nonprofit Honored for its Efforts to Protect and Improve Environment in Gwinnett County

Lawrenceville, Ga. – February 15, 2019 – This year, February 14 not only symbolized Valentine’s Day, but it also marked Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation (KGBF) Legislation Day at the Georgia Capitol. A large group of Keep America Beautiful affiliates gathered together to show their shared love of the environment and to be honored for their accomplishments during the previous year. Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful (GCB) was recognized with a Governor’s Circle Award for its outstanding achievements in community beautification and environmental sustainability. The award, presented annually by the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation, acknowledges exemplary performance in litter reduction, waste minimization and community greening.

To qualify for the Governor’s Circle Award, affiliates must be in good standing with Keep America Beautiful, the national nonprofit that oversees state and local programming. Requirements include conducting an annual litter index, calculating the affiliate’s cost/benefit ratio, and engaging volunteers to take greater responsibility for their community environment. Additionally, the affiliate must be an active member of the Georgia network.

“We believe that everyone deserves to live in an environment that is healthy, safe, clean and beautiful,” said Natalie Johnston-Russell, executive director of the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation. “The recipients of this award are an instrumental part of that mission, and we are thankful for their dedication and commitment.”

Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful staff members, Sumner Gann and Kim Sullivan attended the ceremony along with board member, Jay Bassett.  Over the course of 2018, the Gwinnett County-based nonprofit:

• Was awarded a $20K Grant from Lowe’s/Keep America Beautiful Community Partners to launch a Food Waste Warrior Program with an aim of auditing and reducing food waste among local schools
• Received a $10K Primerica Foundation Grant to expand its Plant It Forward Community Garden Program with Gwinnett County Public Schools
• Hosted its 4th Annual Great Gwinnett Wetlands – which saw to the removal of 3,560 pounds of litter and 14,500 pounds of invasive plants
• Awarded $3,500 in scholarships to local students
• Hosted its first EVER Hazardous Household Waste Event – in which more than 800 vehicles were processed and over 30 tons of hazardous household waste were collected
• Held one of its most successful Great Days of Service events to date – resulting in the collection of an estimated 11,000 pounds of litter – roughly the equivalent in weight to an elephant – over the course of 4 hours by 112 volunteers
• Hosted an impressive America Recycles Day Event in which over the course of just three hours, about 140 volunteers served an estimated 4,000 residents in the recycling or safe disposal of difficult to recycle items that are not accepted curbside in Gwinnett including more than 2,200 lbs. of clothing and shoes, 484 ink cartridges, over 6,500 gallons of paint, 26,000 lbs. of tires and 45,400 lbs. of electronics PLUS the secure shredding of 41,000 lbs. of sensitive documents

“We are truly honored to be recognized with a Governor’s Circle Award again this year,” said Schelly Marlatt, executive director for Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. “Of course, what is every bit as rewarding as the award itself is the opportunity to be part of a network of organizations all working together towards a common goal at the community, state and national levels. When you put all of us together in one room, it’s a powerful thing – making it easy to believe that we can take on any issue and we can accomplish virtually anything. My staff, board members and I are incredibly proud to be affiliated with Keep America Beautiful and the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation, and we can hardly wait to see what 2019 has in store for us all.”

About Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful:  Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful Services, Inc. (GCB) is a Keep America Beautiful affiliate and award-winning 501(c)(3) charitable organization. It boasts an expansive community-based network dedicated to finding long-term solutions to environmental and quality of life issues through individual action. The organization is guided by a Citizens Advisory Board that represents all sectors of the Gwinnett County community. A nationally recognized leader in creating cleaner, greener and more livable communities throughout Gwinnett, GCB involves more than 100,000 volunteers annually to clean and restore public places, recycle more, protect watersheds and develop the next generation of environmental stewards. To learn more about Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and its mission of “Connecting People and Resources for a Sustainable Gwinnett,” please visit www.GwinnettCB.org.

About the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation: The Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation has a 40-year history of doing the little things that make a big difference in Georgia communities. Established as the first-ever state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful in 1978 by Governor George Busbee, the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation became a 501(3)c nonprofit in 2011 and builds sustainable communities through litter prevention, waste reduction, recycling, water resource management, and community greening. The Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation provides support to the largest network of local affiliates in the country, and our 78 local programs represent 80% of Georgia’s population. For more information, visit www.keepgeorgiabeautiful.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.