Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Affiliate Volunteers of the Year!

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful believes that by engaging volunteers, we extend the reach of our educational efforts and multiply the impact of our actions.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s “Affiliate Volunteers of the Year Program” is a recognition program for KPB and local KAB Affiliates. Through this statewide program, each affiliate can honor an outstanding volunteer. To apply, visit Affiliate Resources for the online application under the Volunteer of the Year Award. This award is only for KPB and local KAB affiliates in good standing.

For questions, please contact Kylie McCutcheon at kmccutcheon@keeppabeautiful.org or 724-836-4121 ext. 114.

2023 Awardees

Read the press release.

 


Fawn Contreras, nominated by Keep Northeastern PA Beautiful

Fawn is the Head of Youth Services at Valley Community Library where she uses her role to address beautification needs in her community. She regularly partners with Keep NEPA Beautiful to hold cleanups in Lackawanna County and often has 5-10 volunteers from the library. Fawn also partners with the local school to educate students about community involvement and beautification. Annually, she conducts group cleanups to celebrate Earth Day, National Cleanup Day, and even her Birthday and Mother’s Day!

Fawn has also participated beyond cleanups with Keep NEPA Beautiful. She tables at the Lackawanna County Earth Day event and also spearheaded the Plastic Bag Recycling event recently held at the Jessup 9-1-1 Center which was sponsored by Keep Northeastern PA Beautiful through a grant from Keep PA Beautiful.

News stories demonstrating her Partnership:

 

Sante DeMichiel, nominated by Keep Perry County Beautiful

Sante, a resident of the Millerstown Borough, has been an active volunteer for the Perry County Conservation District since 2017. He has been a part of their 2017 Tire War, 2019 E-Cycling, 2021 Juniata River Cleanup, 2022 Shermans Creek Cleanup, 2022 Tire War, and the 2023 Tire War.

Sante made an especially importantimpact out at the 2023 Tire War event. Sante helped take charge immediately hauling tires and was a great leader throughout the entire event. At the Conservation District, he is known as one of their favorite volunteers and is always willing to help whether it is assisting us at recycling events or scavenging Shermans Creek for unwanted trash. Sante is kind, proactive, and unquestionably deserving of this award.

 

Kathy Frederick, nominated by Keep Allentown Beautiful

Kathy is a Litter Legend in the Lehigh Valley area. She does weekly cleanups throughout the entire year, usually solo, but on occasion with other volunteers. In April, she hosted her own Earth Day cleanup, Kathy and her group of volunteers fervently collected over 300 bags of trash and almost 30 tires! She also participated in Allentown's first ever competition-style litter event held this summer. She and her group of volunteers out-picked four other teams by collecting the most trash in the Community and the Arts Cleanup! In 2023 alone, she has removed over 1,000 bags of litter from the streets of Allentown, and that’s not including her cleanups in Bethlehem, Whitehall, and other Lehigh Valley areas. Kathy is incredibly passionate about keeping PA beautiful.

 

Robert Giron, nominated by Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling

Bob Giron is a dedicated volunteer at Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling. For more than two years, he has volunteered his time to help at the recycling center during their drop-off hours and has racked up hundreds of volunteer hours. Rain or shine, Bob helps unload customers’ vehicles of the recyclable items they bring to the facility as well as processing the cardboard and paper items that customers drop off. He always wears a smile and greets the customer with kind words and maybe some quick wit! When Westmoreland Cleanways started accepting plastic containers for recycling, Bob was the first volunteer to help direct their customers on what is and isn't accepted as they would drop off their plastic containers.

 

Stacy Marinos, nominated by Allegheny CleanWays

Stacy has been volunteering with Allegheny CleanWays (ACW) on land-based cleanups and water-based cleanups since 2022. Stacy volunteered a total of 54 times in the past two years and 33 times in 2023, always showing up no matter how challenging or how unpleasant the cleanup site might be. Since Stacy has volunteered with ACW so often, she is a huge asset on cleanup sites as she needs little to no instruction and helps them accomplish more than they would with just two crew members. Stacy not only volunteers with ACW but she devotes time to Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy helping to maintain flower gardens around the city of Pittsburgh. Stacy spends the rest of her free time traveling with friends. This year she went to Vermont and Alberta Canada.

 

Kelly McDowell, nominated by Keep Chester County Beautiful

Kelly began picking up litter in 2013, along a long stretch of Route 1 in southern Chester County. She coordinates the Great American Cleanup of PA - Chester County which hosts ongoing litter cleanups every spring on ALL weekends of the Pick Up PA from March 1-May 31. During her first pick-up, she collected over 450 bags of trash, and to date has collected over 11,100 bags of litter and 430 tires. Her cleanup season, which she has held annually since 2017, typically draws between 50-100 volunteers. Kelly cares deeply about the environment, and a litter-free Chester County. She also, whether she knows it or not, mentored our 2022 Volunteer of the Year, Beth Intoccia with the Litter Lifters of West Vincent, who raves about the work Kelly does constantly!

 

Jim Means, nominated by Keep Fayette County Green

Jim has a dedication and passion for recycling. Monthly, Jim holds a recycling collection and a fall hard- to- recycle event for Wharton and surrounding townships, providing residents an opportunity to recycle. Jim has also spoken at and later launched a recycling program at the Mountain Area Senior Center.

Jim’s leadership style fosters a collaborative and supportive environment, encouraging others to go above and beyond. His dedication and enthusiasm are contagious, and it is not uncommon to see others rally behind his recycling initiatives.

 

Randy Wilharm, nominated by Keep Royal Gardens Beautiful

Randy Wilharm is Keep Royal Gardens Beautiful newest project manager and community volunteer. Upon his arrival in July 2023, he was eager to participate in maintaining the green spaces of the community. He volunteered to manage their largest event, Villanova Day of Service, in which he supported over a hundred volunteers removing the overgrowth of vegetation throughout their flower beds. Randy and his wife, Rebecca, closed out our season in joining us in our "Fall-Love Your Park Event" as they honored Veteran’s Day by volunteering in their memorial garden.

Keep Royal Garden Beautiful is grateful and thankful for Randy’s contributions and willingness to be the Change that he wanted to see!