By Christine Bryant
Staff Writer
A new initiative aims to keep the city of Reynoldsburg beautiful.
Arley Owens is heading a group working to establish the city as an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful – the largest community improvement organization in the United States.
“Our goal is to help the city of Reynoldsburg become a sustainable community and be proud of where we live,” said Owens, who is serving as the group’s executive director.
The national organization educates people on how to take action every day to improve their community environment by promoting resources that increase recycling, end littering and beautify in other ways.
“When families are making determinations of where they want to move, this is one of the things we can promote,” Owens said of being an affiliate. “We have individuals, businesses and corporations that care about our community.”
Arley said one of the main goals of becoming an affiliate is to position Keep Reynoldsburg Beautiful as one of the primary go-to organizations for information and assistance in establishing recycling, litter prevention, beautification and waste reduction programs for Reynoldsburg’s schools, businesses and households.
“Another important milestone we wish to attain is for Keep Reynoldsburg Beautiful to help Reynoldsburg events become zero-waste events,” he said.
Upcoming plans include planning a paper recycling program at Slate Ridge Elementary School, coordinating a tree planting in honor of Earth Day and coordinating with the city to plan Plant Reynoldsburg in May and Community Clean Up Week in June.
Group members also will present to Reynoldsburg Schools in December information about Keep America Beautiful’s Recycle Bowl program, a national recycling competition for kids in grades kindergarten through 12 that engages students and the community in recycling.
To be successful, Keep Reynoldsburg Beautiful is preparing a Corporate Giving and Donation Program designed to reap funding from grants, fundraising events, individual giving and corporate donations.
“As a future affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Keep Reynoldsburg Beautiful will be able to readily approach national corporations who actively support Keep America Beautiful financially and its more than 600 affiliates,” Owens said.
For those in the community who want to help, Owens suggests becoming involved in their own neighborhood associations and actively participating in community organizations such as the Tomato Festival Planning Committee, Visitors and Community Activities Bureau, Chamber of Commerce and Reynoldsburg Community Association.
“Each of these organizations work together to plan events and activities that showcase Reynoldsburg and build strong community relationships,” he said. “Keep Reynoldsburg Beautiful will strive to be one of the primary partners for progress in keeping Reynoldsburg a clean and beautiful community to live, play and work.”
For information, contact Owens at arleyowens@keepreynoldsburgbeautiful.org.
Keep Reynoldsburg Beautiful will meet at the Holiday Inn Suites Main Conference Room, 2806 Taylor Road Ext., Reynoldsburg on the following dates in 2016: Feb. 9, March 8, April 12, May 10, June 14, July 12, Aug. 9, Sept. 13, Oct.11, Nov. 8, and Dec. 13.
