The 7th Mini-Grant Program was named in rememberance of Pamela Greening, a friend to both Keep Michigan Beautiful, Inc and the Beautification Council of Southeastern Michigan. She was a computer expert who helped our organization with several projects requiring her expertise. Pamela graciously gave of her time with no expectation of payment. Her life was ended far too soon as she, her husband and son were tragically killed in a car accident caused by an impaired driver in December 2024. It happened the day after her son was married.
This year the KMB Foundation gave 13 mini-grants of $750 each to a wide range of projects from the west along Lake Michigan to the east coast and down to the Detroit Area. The projects included youth activities and specialized gardens such as native plant gardens, rain gardens and pollinator gardens. Some of the prujects included informational and educational signage, restoration of historical buiildings and clean-up and beautification activities.
And our winners are…
Michigan Youth Appreciation Foundation for expenses related to Metro Detroit Youth Day held each July on Belle Isle.
Danford Park in Dimondale, MI for their rain garden and butterfly and bee pollinator garden.
Detroit Hives for their Youth Sensory Garden at the Michigan Science Center in Detroit.
Macomb Cultural and Economic Partnership for the Pollinator Park and Micro Gardens in Mount Clemens.
Griffin Gardens in Detroit is working on a Michigan Native Plant Garden in a vacant lot and will use the grant monies for plants, soil and signage.
Fraser Beautification Club will use their grant for a polllinator garden and habitat on a wedge of land where Utica and Garfield roads connect.
The Bernard Historical Society and Museum in Delton, MI plans to use their grant towards roof repairs of historical buildings.
The Patterson Park Garden Club in Grosse Pointe Park will use their grant to install a children’s garden around the playscape at Patterson Park.
Castle Rouge Neighborhood Community Greening will use their grant to provide services to help vulnerablecommunity residents age 50 and older to feel safe and secure in their Castle Rouge neighborhood.
Majestic Riverview Park is being developed in the City of Cheboygan on recently donated land. The grant will be used to provide landscaping and plantings plus signage featuring indigenous history and art.
The community of Covert Township, MI plan to use their grant for signage at Covert Park Beach and Campground.
Beautify Burton from Burton, MI is a volunteer group that will use their grant to plant flowers at the Burton Library entrance and Burton Senior Center. They will work with Girl Scouts.
Chippewa Valley High School Ecology Club applied for a grant to maintain and support its Great Campus Clean Up on their large campus. The Clean-Up project came from a Public Service Announcement the Ecology Club had written aired in September 2022.
The KMB Foundation also awarded a special grant of $3,200 to the Arboriculture Society of Michigan towards the restoration of the Historic Belle Isle Sawmill. The Belle Isle Sawmill is unique in that it represents one of the very few uban historic sawmills. The restoration is in Phase 3 of a 4-phase program. The grant will be used to help cover the cost of renting equipment necessary to remove a collapsed maintenance garage and overgrown vegetation. The bulk of the work will be done by Foundation Directors with minimal support from the Michigan DNR who will supply the dumpsters. This award is a fitting tribute to Brian Colter, KMB first vice president who was a founding member of the society. Brian made the application for this grant and sadly died unexpectedly just a few weeks after his request was received. The Foundation is now planning our eighth mini-grant program which will be named in honor of Brian. Ten grants of $850 each will be awarded.
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