Clean & Green – Grateful Appreciation

APPRECIATION: (noun) gratitude, thankful recognition

KALB recently hosted an Appreciation Breakfast for our volunteer Commission and Board members, faithful friends, and financial supporters.

Our purpose was to make sure each person present recognizes the value we place on their partnership, and understands exactly what the return is on their time, in-kind, financial, and other support. Success is not always measured in dollars. We measure our success on what is accomplished with the dollars we are given. That success can only happen with community volunteer support.
When KALB measures our success using THAT yardstick, we are rich indeed!

Leigh Patterson, KALB office manager, and I talk frequently about how much we appreciate and love our volunteers. The KALB Commission consists of volunteer board members who oversee the organization. These men and women are the foundation that keeps KALB on solid ground. Volunteer board members also make things happen through our Athens-Limestone Beautification Board and the Athens-Limestone Recycling Board.

Even with these wonderful board members, there is so much more KALB accomplishes with community volunteer help. Here are some numbers from our last fiscal year that make us proud:

965 = Number of Volunteers
5,002 = Total Volunteer Hours
$100,000+ = Value of Volunteers in Dollars (using nationally-accepted value determined by Independent Sector)
18,000 lbs. = Trash Removed from Roadsides and River
3,217 lbs. = Recycled Materials Sorted from Trash

So, what do KALB volunteers do? EVERYTHING!

Our fiscal year begins in October and we hit the ground running! It takes close to 100 volunteers to provide Clean and Green Event services to the Old Time Fiddlers Convention. You will find KALB volunteers handing out litter bags at the gates, picking up litter, providing opportunities for guests and vendors, and providing final cleanup the Sunday after the event.

Each year, in a cooperative effort with Limestone County 4H, KALB staff and volunteers visit every 5th and 6th grade classroom in Limestone County and Athens City schools. This allows KALB to reach nearly 1,500 students in 68 classrooms with a message of environmental stewardship. We also provide presentations for all age groups from preschool to adult in a variety of setting.
Sixty volunteers arrived early one April morning ready and willing to help clean up the Elk River. This year’s cleanup was another huge success, thanks to the men, women, and children who cared enough to make a difference where they could.

Our Earth Day & Outdoor EXPO took place on April 30th. We could not have pulled it off without a large number of volunteers, some of whom were willing to stay from set up to tear down. They must truly believe in what the event hopes to accomplish, which is helping our community members of every age understand how their personal actions affect the local environment through exhibits, games, and hands-on activities.

There are so many more projects and activities within the KALB organization that offer volunteer opportunities, including our seedling giveaway, roadside cleanups, Adopt-A-Spot, Clean Campus program, our fundraisers, and more.

KALB volunteers come from all walks of life, come in all shapes and sizes, and range from youth to seniors. There is a place for everyone in the KALB organization. Come and discover how you can get involved. We promise you will be appreciated.

When you work with wonderful people, work does not feel like work at all.
By: Lynne Hart