Baton Rouge, La. (October 31, 2023) – The Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership (GBREP), the nonprofit arm of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC), has been selected as a recipient of the Healthy Communities Grant by Keep Louisiana Beautiful, the state’s premier anti-litter and community improvement organization.
The grant, in the amount of $8,000, will support GBREP’s Take 5 Campaign, an anti-litter initiative that will engage, educate, and equip organizations in the region to commit to taking 5 minutes of their day, every day, to clean up and reduce litter wherever they are.
GBREP will work with participants of the Take 5 campaign and harness existing anti-litter partners to create unified messaging that underscores the goal of reducing the visible litter throughout commercial corridors, educate participants on the environmental costs of litter, and equip organizations with the necessary resources to make participation easy. The campaign’s goal is to engage hundreds of citizens in Baton Rouge to impact the community for the better.
Organizations that pledge to Take 5 will be given litter grabbers, safety vests, gloves, and garbage bags to kickstart their clean-ups.
The initiative also aims to create a cultural attitude shift and boost pride in place, as the Baton Rouge area suffers from an internal negative perception of itself.
“We know that visible litter on our roads and highways negatively impact business and the region’s quality of place,” said Trent Bondy, BRAC Quality of Place Council Chairman and Director of Compliance at LUBA Workers Comp. “Taking five minutes each day to clean up litter will enhance our sense of pride in the region and drive our economic development efforts.”
Organizations and community members interested in pledging to “Take 5” can contact BRAC Quality of Place staff lead Caila Miceli at caila@brac.org.
About the Baton Rouge Area Chamber
The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) is an aggressively ambitious regional economic development organization with a bias for action. BRAC seeks to push Baton Rouge beyond the status quo, unleash its potential, and support a vibrant business community that believes the finish line does not exist. BRAC seeks to accelerate economic opportunity in the Baton Rouge Area, for everyone, through BRING IT! Baton Rouge, its five-year, regional strategic plan. Learn more about BRAC at brac.org.
About Keep Louisiana Beautiful
Keep Louisiana Beautiful is an anti‐litter and community improvement non-profit organization focused on achieving a clean and beautiful Louisiana through education, enforcement, public awareness, and community engagement. Keep Louisiana Beautiful is affiliated with Keep America Beautiful and is comprised of a statewide network of 40 Community Affiliates and seven University Affiliates. Learn more at www.keeplouisianabeautiful.org.
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