Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB), a statewide grassroots environmental and community improvement non-profit organization, was recently named
Keep Levelland Beautiful a Gold Star Affiliate. Gold Star recognition is the membership recognition highest status any community affiliate can achieve.
“Keep Texas Beautiful 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 2023, KTB affiliates engaged over 32,000 volunteers in over 500 cleanups who contributed to collecting 3.7 million pounds of waste and recyclables from Texas roadways, trails, and waterways. Keep Levelland Beautiful successfully implemented programs to clean up litter, reduce and recycle waste, educate local citizens, and their work beautifies and enhances the local community.
Affiliates that reach Gold Star status have demonstrated organizational aptitude and have robust community support. To achieve Gold Star status, affiliates share 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 provide a letter of support from their community. KTB will formally recognize Gold Star communities during the KTB Conference in June.
Keep Levelland Beautiful Advisory Board Chair, Josh Meredeth said, “We are honored to reach Gold Star status! Our volunteers work extremely hard, dedicating their time and energy to keeping our community clean, healthy, and beautiful. From the individuals who serve on committees, community members who are actively involved in KLB events and activities, and those who work behind the scenes to organize volunteers, judge art contests, and so on - they all deserve the credit for this achievement. We truly could not do this without them.”
Special Projects Manager Kelly Hancock says, “the guidance from Keep Texas Beautiful has been imperative to build a strong program and to be recognized as a Gold Star Affiliate five years in a row.”