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The Irving Family Advocacy Center has a fresh look, thanks to the efforts of a team of employee volunteers from Vizient, Inc., and Keep Irving Beautiful. On Thursday, May 16, seventeen Vizient team members, joined by a North Lake College Service Learning student and an additional KIB volunteer, met KIB staff at the Family Advocacy Center for a day of giving back to the community.  After signing and receiving a safety speech, the group set off to accomplish their task - applying stain to the wood fence which surrounds the children’s play area and therapy garden.  The initial goal was to complete staining the outside, and then work on the inside surfaces if time permitted.  This dedicated group of 19 total volunteers, went above and beyond and finished the entire fence, inside and out, with enough time left to do touchups and a thorough cleanup.  Total volunteer time amounted to 76 hours of service.

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Vizient’s history with KIB goes back many years, including partnering together for the annual “Community Day” event each October and sponsoring KIB programs throughout the year.

 

“One of the reasons we chose this location was the visual impact it would have, from the drive-up appearance and that of the interior in the therapy garden,” said KIB Board Member Kelly Horn. “This facility provides so many valuable services to those who need them, and the Vizient team members enjoyed having the opportunity to help such a worthwhile program.”

 

Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/284/Keep-Irving-Beautiful or call (972) 721-2175.

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Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) is asking for nominations for the 2019 Mayor and KIB Annual Awards. The awards honor local individuals, organizations and businesses that have gone above and beyond in making Irving a better place to live, work, play or visit. KIB will recognize these “environmental stars” during a reception on Aug. 5. The categories include:

  • Youth Leadership
  • Educator
  • Faith Group
  • Civic Organization
  • Business and Industry
  • Media
  • Lifetime Achievement
  • Civil Servant
  • Green Government
  • KIB Hometown

 

Detailed descriptions of each award, a list of previous year’s winners, and the current nomination form can be found at KeepIrvingBeautiful.org. Nominations can be submitted online, or can be downloaded, printed, and mailed to the KIB office at 3000 Rock Island Road. For more information, contact KIB at (972) 721-2175 or email info@rockthegreen.org.

 

Nominations are due June 17.

 

Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit, grassroots, leadership organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/284/Keep-Irving-Beautiful or call (972) 721-2175.

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Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB), a statewide grassroots environmental and community improvement nonprofit organization, recently named Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) a Gold Star Affiliate. This designation is granted to 85 of KTB’s nearly 300 affiliates. Gold Star recognition is the highest membership recognition status a community affiliate can achieve.

To remain in good standing with KTB, community affiliates must submit a report, pay dues, attend training and participate in a KTB-endorsed activity annually. In 2004, the organization introduced the concept of Gold Star recognition to reward communities which sought to go above and beyond the established requirements. To achieve this status, affiliates must share information on their mission and goals; answer questions about on economic development and diversity and inclusion practices; or participate in the Keep Texas Beautiful Awards or Governor’s Community Achievement Awards programs, as well as provide a letter of support from the community. KTB will formally recognize Gold Star communities June 18-20 during its 52nd Annual Conference in Rockwall.

“Keep Texas Beautiful is proud to honor the most active affiliates that have such a large impact on their communities,” said KTB Executive Director Suzanne Kho. “Gold Star Affiliates are educating and engaging the community, actively recruiting and managing volunteers, hosting beautification events throughout their community and so much more. These groups deserve this great honor.”

In 2018 alone, KTB affiliates and their local volunteers contributed 198,304 hours to collect more than 4.2 million pounds of waste and recyclables, including 167,689 pounds of electronics and 6,293 pounds of tires. KIB successfully implemented programs to clean up litter, reduce and recycle waste, educate local citizens and beautify and enhance the local community.

“Keep Irving Beautiful feels it is important to maintain Gold Star status with the state organization,” said KIB Board President Jim Scrivner. “Achieving this distinction was possible because of collaboration with many different groups – businesses, schools and youth groups, the faith community, civic and nonprofit organizations – and the strong support of the City of Irving. The Gold Star Award is an indicator of outstanding community engagement.”

Keep Irving Beautiful

Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/284/Keep-Irving-Beautiful or call (972) 721-2175.

 

Keep Texas Beautiful

Keep Texas Beautiful is a network of dedicated Texans working together to make our state the best place to live, work and play. We equip local partners and affiliates with the tools they need to build vibrant, engaged communities. Founded in 1967, Keep Texas Beautiful has over 50 years of experience deploying resources for local clean-up, recycling, and youth engagement efforts. Everything we do is focused on mobilizing volunteers to take action across the state. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, we lead nearly 300 affiliates and reach 19 million Texans annually. We are proudly based in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit www.KTB.org, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @keeptxbeautiful.

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Employee volunteers from Mosaic Sales Solutions and Acosta Sales and Marketing recently participated with Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) in a service project to clean Irving’s Running Bear Park. Thanks to the team’s effort, the park is now brighter and more inviting. The project was part of the “Acosta Cares” outreach initiative, which encourages employees to volunteer in the community. The April 19 event included 56 volunteers, who provided 224 hours of service. The volunteers painted all three pavilions in the playground area, as well as an archway structure and the safety fencing surrounding the largest pavilion.

 

KIB has collaborated with the group since 2013, when the “Mosaic Cares” volunteers held a cleanup at Trinity View Park. Since then, joined by employee volunteers from Acosta, the group has left its mark in parks across Irving. Previous refurbishment projects include Senter Park, Lively Park Pool, and the Trinity View baseball fields. Now, the group can add Running Bear to its impressive list.

 

The City of Irving Parks Department provided supplies and technical guidance, while Irving Community Television Network interviewed participants and captured the day’s activities for a feature story.

 

“We are so fortunate that we have a very active and engaged corporate community in Irving,” said KIB board member Scott Wilson. “The Acosta/Mosaic team is an excellent example of a company that values volunteerism. The group is always a pleasure to work with, and we all look forward to this annual service day.”

 

Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/284/Keep-Irving-Beautiful or call (972) 721-2175.

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The Irving-based Javelin Agency recently worked with Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) for the second year as part of its Giving Day 2019 event. Employee volunteers worked with a variety of local nonprofit agencies on April 4 for a day of community service. KIB’s group of twelve met at Bird’s Fort Trail. After being briefed on the project and safety, the group donned volunteer vests and were supplied with litter grabber tools, trash and recycle bags. Some of the group worked on carrying boards and brush that had washed ashore after heavy rains, while others set out to collect litter from the tree line along the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. 

 

After a combined 30 hours of service, 45 pounds of plastic bottles and aluminum cans and 1,200 pounds of trash and debris were collected. The City of Irving Parks and Recreation Department staff members were instrumental to the success of this project. Staff members helped volunteers first by sawing boards into manageable sizes, then by collecting full bags of litter or recyclables and driving them to a central area.

 

“KIB worked with the Javelin Agency last year at the same park, so we were pleased that the group chose to partner with KIB again this year for Giving Day,” said KIB Board Treasurer Chuck Kirk. “It’s great to see companies give their employees time off work to participate in meaningful projects that have a big impact. Keeping litter out of waterways like the Trinity River is important to the organization, and KIB depends on volunteers like Javelin employees to help in that goal.”

 

Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/284/Keep-Irving-Beautiful or call (972) 721-2175.

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Residents of the Las Brisas Hills Condominiums recently joined Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) for a neighborhood cleanup project. During the two-day cleaning period—March 29 and 30—a total of 18 volunteers provided 78 service hours and collected approximately 600 pounds of trash from the surrounding areas. KIB volunteer and Las Brisas Hills homeowner Sammy Romero coordinated the project. KIB provided the group with all the necessary cleanup supplies, including volunteer vests, litter grabber tools, gloves and trash bags, as well as a scale to weigh the collected bags.

“The Las Brisas Hills group has conducted cleanups for several years. The projects serve as a great opportunity to work with each other as neighbors in a common goal,” said Romero. “We feel that we all have a responsibility to keep the environment clean, and this project demonstrated that spirit. Our group always appreciates KIB’s assistance in the annual cleanups.” 

Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/284/Keep-Irving-Beautiful or call (972) 721-2175.

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The North Lake College Student Government Association (SGA) is the latest group to participate in Keep Irving Beautiful’s blanket project. A group of ten members recently crafted eight no-sew blankets under the direction of Candace Eldridge, North Lake faculty advisor and higher education chair for the KIB Board of Directors. The students provided a total of 65 hours of service in the effort. The blankets will be donated to local nonprofit organizations that serve the Irving community.

“KIB donated the fleece material for two blankets, but the SGA students were so motivated to be of service, that they purchased more material to make additional blankets,” said Eldridge. “The students are always seeking ways to give back. Knowing that these blankets will go to local organizations where they will be given to people who need them is a satisfying feeling.”

The SGA serves as the voice of the North Lake student body, where members are involved in the decision-making process, meet with school administrators, network with local community leaders, and connect with fellow college students nationwide.

Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/284/Keep-Irving-Beautiful or call (972) 721-2175.

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Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s iconic community improvement nonprofit organization, presented Keep Irving Beautiful with its 2018 President’s Circle Award recognition at Keep America Beautiful’s recent National Conference, which took place in Baltimore, Maryland. The President’s Circle Award recognizes exemplary performance by certified affiliates of Keep America Beautiful in creating clean, green and beautiful communities.

 

In qualifying for the President’s Circle Award, Keep Irving Beautiful has met Keep America Beautiful’s standards of merit by conducting an annual Community Appearance Index; calculating the affiliate’s cost/benefit ratio; and administering initiatives to end littering, improve recycling, and beautify Irving’s community. Keep Irving Beautiful is one of Keep America Beautiful’s more than 600 community-based affiliates whose programs, initiatives and efforts, supported by millions of volunteers, help transform public spaces into beautiful places.

 

“One of the nation’s most effective grassroots community resources is local affiliates, which engage millions of Americans in volunteer service each year,” said Keep America Beautiful President and CEO Helen Lowman. “Keep America Beautiful’s affiliates provide real solutions that help create communities that are socially connected, environmentally healthy and economically sound. These affiliates enrich the communities they serve and help create opportunities for Americans to do beautiful things.”

 

Community Appearance Index-Litter Index: The Keep America Beautiful Community Appearance Index-Litter Index is a tool used by its affiliates to visually assess overall appearance of communities through indicators such as litter, illegal signs, graffiti, abandoned or junk vehicles, and outside storage. A team of community, business and government representatives conduct the visual analysis using a scoring system ranging from 1-4, where the No. 1 is rated as no litter, and No. 4 is rated as extremely littered. Each year, affiliates grade their communities during a drive-by examination of the same areas at the same time of the year. This provides an indication of the success of each community’s anti-littering education and other anti-littering programs.

Cost/Benefit Analysis: This measurement tool enables Keep America Beautiful affiliates to demonstrate their ability to leverage community resources by determining the dollar value returned to the community for every dollar invested by the government.

 

The Keep America Beautiful National Conference, its premier educational and networking event, brought together more than 350 leaders from Keep America Beautiful’s national network of affiliates, business leaders, policymakers and other experts who shared innovative ideas and proven strategies to help improve America’s communities.

 

The 2018 Keep America Beautiful National Conference was made possible through the support of some of America’s leading companies, including: Leadership Sponsors — Altria and Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company; Stewardship Sponsor — Anheuser-Busch; and Strategic Sponsors — Keurig Dr Pepper, PepsiCo and Steel Recycling Institute. Scholarships are provided by Altria and PepsiCo.

 

About Keep Irving Beautiful
Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/284/Keep-Irving-Beautiful or call (972) 721-2175.

 

About Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s iconic community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful strives to End Littering, Improve Recycling and Beautify America’s Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision.

 

The organization is driven by the work and passion of more than 600 Keep America Beautiful affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Donate and take action at kab.org.

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The Irving-based All Things Made New mentoring program recently partnered with Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) to make and donate four no-sew blankets. A total of 17 youth program members and six adult mentors worked together to make the blankets—providing 23 hours of volunteer service. The blankets were donated to the Irving Independent School District’s Teenage Pregnant and Parenting Students Program (TAPPS), which provides support, counseling, education and other assistance to students who are pregnant, or who are parents.

KIB initiated the blanket project in 2016. Since then, it has grown in popularity with its volunteers—particularly among youth groups. In 2017, All Things Made New began participating with the More than Gold girls group and the Iron Roots boys group. Over the last two years, the volunteers have crafted 20 blankets.

“The project has helped raise awareness about the different organizations that exist to serve others in the Irving community,” said KIB board member Karen Harmon. “The volunteers enjoy the time spent making the blankets together, and donating them to a worthy cause brings a sense of belonging and community.”

Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on KIB or to make an activity a green event, visit CityofIrving.org/284/Keep-Irving-Beautiful or call (972) 721-2175.

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Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) is sponsoring the “Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off,” part of the state’s signature event for the nationwide “Great American Cleanup” program, and a partnership with Keep Texas Beautiful and the Texas Department of Transportation. Irving will have a cleanup on the official Trash-Off date, from 9 a.m. to noon April 6 at Trinity View Park, 2221 E. State Highway 356. KIB will provide the cleanup supplies, including safety vests, gloves, litter pickers and trash/recycle bags. KIB also will provide lunch after the event. Volunteers of all ages are welcome and are asked to sign up online at KeepIrvingBeautiful.org. A parent, guardian or adult group leader must be present for volunteers who are 17 years old and younger.

 

This year’s event also will include a canned food drive to benefit Crisis Ministries Food Pantry in Irving. All volunteers are asked to bring canned or other non-perishable food items. Those who donate items will receive a T-shirt, while supplies last.

 

 “This event typically attracts people from Irving and from the surrounding communities who want to do their part in keeping public spaces beautiful,” said KIB Board President Jim Scrivner. “The goal for the Trash-Off is to keep litter from reaching the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, but it also is a great way to connect with other like-minded people

and be part of a much bigger picture.”

 

Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit, grassroots, leadership organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, KIB reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB, visit KeepIrvingBeautiful.org or call (972) 721-2175.