PHOTO #1: University of Houston-Victoria baseball players place debris in a trash bag during Keep Victoria Beautiful’s citywide Fall Sweep in 2022. KVB’s cleanups are funded in part by H-E-B’s Community Investment Program.
PHOTO #2: St. Joseph High School students pose for a photo with trash they collected during Keep Victoria Beautiful’s citywide Fall Sweep in 2022. KVB’s cleanups are funded in part by H-E-B’s Community Investment Program.
Keep Victoria Beautiful has received a $5,000 grant from the H-E-B Community Investment Program to support its volunteer-driven community cleanups.
“H-E-B has been a great supporter of KVB’s programs,” said Christy Youker, assistant director of Environmental Services and executive director of KVB. “Support from partners like H-E-B helps us to expand the impact of our cleanups while being efficient with our resources.”
Youker cited KVB’s growth and new community partnerships as factors that reflected well on KVB during the application process.
In the past two years, KVB has more than doubled its volunteer participation, as well as the amount of trash that volunteers pick up. KVB has also increased its partnerships with local government organizations and nonprofits that provide information and resources during cleanups.
At KVB’s most recent cleanup and resource fair in Queen City, 200 volunteers picked up 85 bags of litter, and Environmental Services picked up 17 tons of bulky debris and 107 tires at 96 addresses.
Funding from the Community Investment Program grant will be used to purchase cleanup supplies and giveaway items for volunteers, as well as to fund KVB’s yearly volunteer appreciation event.
KVB’s nonprofit status allows it to pursue a variety of grants for which the City might not otherwise be eligible. KVB’s programs are supported by state and local grants, donations and in-kind contributions.
H-E-B has supported KVB in the past through the Community Investment Program and through sponsored grants such as the Green Bag Grant through Keep Texas Beautiful.
To learn more about Keep Victoria Beautiful, visit www.victoriatx.gov/kvb.