The Montgomery County Department of Transportation’s (MCDOT) Keep Montgomery County Beautiful (KMCB) Task Force is reviewing grant applications through June to fund beautification projects that help improve the appearance of communities. The grants pay 50 percent of the total cost, up to $500, on a competitive basis, to any non-profit community association. Volunteer hours spent on the project are valued at $7.25 an hour.
Since 2000, KMCB has helped 65 communities fund beautification projects to plant flowers, shrubs or trees; landscape a community entranceway or traffic circle; convert weed fields to wildflower meadows; use plants to screen roads; and beautify schools.
Grants must be used for new projects that improve community aesthetics or serve to protect the environment. Construction and general maintenance projects or those that have already been completed do not qualify.
The KMCB Task Force is a group of concerned volunteers who help educate residents and change public attitudes about littering; support cleanup and beautification projects; encourage residents to start or improve recycling programs; and raise awareness of the problems caused by graffiti. MCDOT has funded KMCB since the mid-1980s. The group welcomes new members and meets informally once a month in Rockville.
To apply for a beautification grant, or for information on how you can become a member of the Task Force, contact MCDOT’s Community Outreach Program at 240-777-7155, email mcdot.outreach@montgomerycountymd.gov or visit their website.
