Overview
Keep Houston Beautiful is the city's leading organization in cleanup, beautification, and litter reduction. For over 37 years, Keep Houston Beautiful has been reaching out to all segments of our community to educate and empower individuals to take greater responsibility for beautifying and enhancing Houston's environment. Each year's successes have created a cleaner and healthier city for all Houstonians.
Keep Houston Beautiful is the city's leading organization in cleanup, beautification, and litter reduction. For over 37 years, Keep Houston Beautiful has been reaching out to all segments of our community to educate and empower individuals to take greater responsibility for beautifying and enhancing Houston's environment. Each year's successes have created a cleaner and healthier city for all Houstonians.
Our History
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The Houston Clean City Commission, d.b.a. Keep Houston Beautiful, was created in 1979 and charged with the task of creating a clean and beautiful city.
As a local affiliate of the national organization, Keep America Beautiful, Keep Houston Beautiful learned that the way to lasting improvement was through education and a change of attitude by each individual as to his or her personal responsibility towards the environment. Therefore, during its history, training, positive reinforcement and recognition have been major components of all the program activities.
Encouraging and supporting cleanup and beautification projects by neighborhoods and community groups is another focus of Keep Houston Beautiful. In 1998, the City of Houston awarded a grant to Keep Houston Beautiful to operate the Clean Neighborhoods Program. This program was used as a case study to develop a best practice on Urban Partnerships to prevent litter and illegal dumping guide for the U.S. conference of Mayors and Keep America Beautiful, Inc. “Building Clean, Livable Cities” national litter summit in 1999. Throughout its history, Keep Houston Beautiful has received local, regional and national recognition and has a successful track record of working with local businesses and leading Houston corporations to promote effective partnerships solutions to eliminating urban blight.
Organizational Structure
Keep Houston Beautiful is a 501 (c) 3, non-profit organization. It is governed by a 36-member Commission which is supported by a small professional staff. Commissioners are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by City Council. The Board members serve on one of six committees- Executive Committee, Council District Commissioners Committee, Environmental Education Committee, Cleanup/Beautification Committee, Marketing/Communications Committee and Recognition Committee. The Board of Directors meets bi-monthly with each committee meeting as needed.
We Beautify
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KHB organized the first anti-litter campaign in 1979. KHB's partnership with the City of Houston's Department of Public Works and Engineering Street and Bridge Division has resulted in an award winning Adopt-A-Ditch program. KHB volunteers labored further to beautify the city and restore public areas to our citizens. Parks, esplanades and city blocks are cleaned up. Additionally, flower beds and gardens are installed and trees are planted. KHB is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Inc. and a member of Keep Texas Beautiful. 
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KHB stores its trash bags and hand tools at City of Houston Environmental Service Center. Volunteers and community groups borrow tools for cleanups and beautification. Look at what we accomplished during the fiscal year 2015-2016:
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We Teach
Photo by Jim Olive www.stockyard.com
Keep Houston Beautiful is at the forefront of enlightening the public. From instructing businesses on how to buy recycled products to educating community volunteers in Civic Leaders Training sessions, KHB has reached out to tens of thousands of individuals. The Keep Houston Beautiful youth programs are also valued by numerous teachers throughout the Houston area who use Keep America Beautiful, Inc.'s Waste-In-Place environmental curriculum guide.
These programs in conjunction with KHB publications help guide individuals and businesses through a variety of beautification projects. Whether you want to plant an esplanade, plan a community cleanup or stop illegal dumping in your neighborhood, Keep Houston Beautiful offers the information and resources to get the job done.
These programs in conjunction with KHB publications help guide individuals and businesses through a variety of beautification projects. Whether you want to plant an esplanade, plan a community cleanup or stop illegal dumping in your neighborhood, Keep Houston Beautiful offers the information and resources to get the job done.
We Recognize
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KHB shines a light on the true leaders and projects that help make Houston a cleaner and more beautiful city. These exemplary efforts all obtain significant recognition through: The Mayor's Proud Partners Awards
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We depend on volunteers and donations of all types. Whether you want to help plant a garden on a spring weekend or want to assist in beautifying a neighborhood, we hope you'll become involved. Your time and talents are always appreciated by Keep Houston Beautiful.
We also rely on financial and in-kind support from individuals, corporations and foundations. In return, you will be a partner with an organization that affects the lives of all Houstonians and works hard to make our city a place we are proud to call home. |
We Lead
Our many years of experience working with Houston neighborhoods, city and county services and other community organizations makes us a necessary resource and the catalyst to make things happen in our city.
Our Clean Neighborhoods program is a national model for preventing urban litter, transforming neglected areas, reducing crime and revitalizing neighborhoods. We mobilize area residents and teach them how to utilize critical services and resources so that they can experience pride in the beautification of their own neighborhoods.
Our Clean Neighborhoods program is a national model for preventing urban litter, transforming neglected areas, reducing crime and revitalizing neighborhoods. We mobilize area residents and teach them how to utilize critical services and resources so that they can experience pride in the beautification of their own neighborhoods.
We Work with Youth
Photo by Jim Olive www.stockyard.com
KHB has touched young people's lives for over 30 years with special events and environmental educational programs such as:
- The Youth Advisory Board works with staff to create opportunities for high school students to participate in projects to improve their campus environments.
- Influencing young adults through the Youth Environmental Leadership Conference.
- Involving youths in the Graffiti Hurts program which transforms and beautifies neighborhoods while producing works of mural art.
Goals
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Strategic PrioritiesOffer conservation, greening and solid waste management solutions that deliver clean, beautiful public places, positive impact on the local economy and generations of environmental stewards. Recognize outstanding contributions by individuals and organizations toward fulfilling the mission of Keep Houston Beautiful.
Conduct fund raising efforts as a non-profit, 501 (c) 3 organization to bring complementary funding (or in-kind good/services) for waste management education/public awareness programs and community beautification activities, above and beyond local government appropriations for such programs. |
Greenspace adoption
Greenspace Adoption oversees and coordinates the adoption of City Of Houston parks, sports fields, esplanades, parks, trails and greenspaces.
- Adopt-A-Park - This adoption program welcomes homeowners associations and civic groups interested in providing long-term support for the maintenance and aesthetic quality of a park. Term of agreement minimum of 2 years.
- Adopt-A-Sports Field - This adoption program welcomes organizations who wish to adopt a sports field in lieu of paying permitting fees associated with the use of ballfields. This adoption is available for youth leagues only. The term is for 6 months, Jan-June and July-December. The adoptee is responsible for all maintenance related to the sports field for the entire 6 month period.
- Adopt-An-Esplanade - This adoption program welcomes organizations, homeowners associations and civic groups interested in providing long term support for the maintenance and aesthetic quality of esplanades/medians. Term is perpetual provided adoptee maintains esplanades/medians free of trash, mowed and edged.
- Adopt-A-Trail - This adoption program welcomes civic groups interested in providing long-term support for the maintenance and aesthetic quality of a portion of a trail. Term is a 2 year minimum.
- Adopt-A-Library Greenspace - This adoption program welcomes homeowners associations and civic groups interested in providing long-term support for the maintenance and aesthetic quality of library grounds. Term of agreement minimum of 2 years.
For information on how your group or business can participate in this program, contact Marilu De La Fuente, Greenspace Adoption Coordinator at (832) 395-7029 marilu.delafuente@houstontx.gov
You can find more information of the City Of Houston website : http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/greenspace.html
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