Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB), a statewide environmental and community improvement non-profit, has named Keep The Colony Beautiful as a Gold Star Affiliate for 2023. Gold Star is the highest membership recognition status a community affiliate can achieve.
“Our affiliates are the backbone of our organization. We are proud to honor those going above and beyond to keep their communities clean and beautiful,” says Suzanne Kho, Executive Director of Keep Texas Beautiful. “Our Gold Star Affiliates are educating and engaging community members, actively recruiting and managing volunteers, hosting cleanup and beautification events throughout their community and so much more.”
In 2022, KTB affiliates engaged 178,648 volunteers who contributed 78,955 hours to collect 2.4 million pounds of waste and recyclables from Texas roadways, trails, and waterways. Keep The Colony Beautiful successfully implemented programs to clean up litter, reduce and recycle waste, educate local citizens, and their work beautifies and enhances the local community. This included, but is not limited to:
In 2004, KTB introduced the concept of Gold Star recognition to recognize those communities who sought to go above and beyond the established requirements. 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.
To achieve Gold Star status, affiliates must additionally share information on their mission and goals, answer questions about their economic development and diversity and inclusion practices, or participate in the Beautify Texas Awards or Governor’s Community Achievement Awards programs. They also must provide a letter of support from their community. KTB will formally recognize Gold Star communities during the KTB Conference on June 26-28, 2023.
About Keep Texas Beautiful
Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB) is a non-profit organization dedicated to making Texas the best place to live, work, and play! Its mission is to inspire and empower Texans to make their communities clean and beautiful. KTB provides resources for community improvement projects, clean-ups, and youth engagement efforts across the state. Its Keep Texas Recycling program provides technical assistance, education, and access to markets to increase recycling in rural and underserved communities. Founded in 1967, Keep Texas Beautiful’s work is driven by its network of affiliate members, communities, volunteers, and supporters that span the state, and reach 17 million Texans annually.