– Galveston Island beach parks began a new recycling program this week after being awarded free recycling bins through a national initiative of the Keep America Beautiful organization.
The 70 recycling bins are dispersed throughout Stewart Beach and Dellanera RV Parks, which are managed by the Galveston Island Park Board of Trustees. A portion of the bins, which will collect aluminum and plastic bottles, will be made available to the public for local special events. As part of the program, materials to be recycled will be picked up from the beach parks at no charge by Waste Management Inc.
“Keeping Galveston beautiful is always a focus for the Park Board and we know a big part of that is taking care of our beaches,” said Mario Rabago, the Park Board’s interim executive director. “The new recycling program ties in perfectly with our mission to be a leader in promoting sustainability and preservation throughout the island.”
The new recycling program is scheduled to extend to East Beach next year. The Park Board and local non-profit Clean Galveston Inc. teamed up to apply for the recycling bins earlier this year as part of a new Park Board-sponsored clean beaches campaign that includes creative signage to prevent littering and promote recycling. The “Clean. Green. Pristine.” campaign kicked off in May with the introduction of new beach signage that reads “In the can, not the sand” in English and Spanish.
“The Park Board’s enthusiasm for seeing recycling take place on our beaches was overwhelming, and I feel that played a significant part in both organizations winning this grant,” said Robert Evans, chairman of Clean Galveston. “Our organizations have similar missions and this opportunity came at the right time.”
Galveston’s beach parks received the “2011 Dream Machine Grant” from Keep America Beautiful in partnership with PepsiCo and Waste Management. Keep America Beautiful is a national organization with a network of more than 1,200 affiliate organizations that work to engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community’s environment.
The Dream Machine recycling initiative was introduced on Earth Day 2010 to support the goal of increasing the U.S. beverage container recycling rate from 34 percent to 50 percent by 2018. The initiative aims to place thousands of recycling containers in public venues. For additional information about the program, visit www.Facebook.com/DreamMachine.
GALVESTON COMMUNITY GROWS TOGETHER
Local Organizations Build Garden, Host Health Fair for Urban Neighborhood
The Green House Foundation announces the Grow Your Own Food Drive to be held on October 15, 2011, 10:00am - 3:00pm at Wright Cuney Park and Recreation Center. With sponsorship by the City of Galveston’s Family, Children, and Youth Board, the Green House Foundation is working with the local, underserved community to take ownership of a community garden that will be built on the event day in conjunction with partners, including UTMB, St. Vincent’s House with their Well-Fair, and The Jesse Tree, across Galveston County.
The event will consist of an indoor component, in which local organizations will be able to create connections and relationships with interested community members in a fashion similar to a traditional health fair. An outdoor Food Fair, geared towards providing fresh, healthy food and refreshments, will feature a local chef who will guide residents from grocery and food bank produce to the dinner plate with amazingly simple, healthy, and tasty meals. Participants will be served and introduced to a healthy meal while having the opportunity to take part in building a community garden at their neighborhood recreation center.
The Green House Foundation is working to bring local neighborhoods back to their edible roots by connecting community empowerment with healthy futures.
With the backing of the City of Galveston, this large event intends to bring together the community with those who have been serving them for years and to foster green changes in their environment and their diet to invest in their future. Volunteers and participants of all ages are welcome to attend.
The Green House Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to improve the health and the quality of life of all by encouraging community collaboration in creating green spaces, art, and education. We aim to gently re-purpose environmentally endangered neighborhoods (GREEN) through collaborative learning and participation. Through the use of green spaces and community collaboration, we hope to address nutrition and health disparities, and develop and encourage innovative approaches towards inspiring wellness.
IIf you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with David Darrow, the President of the Green House Foundation, please call Katie Lipsmeyer-Fink at 501-590-5651 or email Katie at katie@greenhousefoundation.com.
