Mobile County Commission Awarded For Campaign

The Mobile County Commission recently received the Efficiency and Innovation Award from the Association of County Commissions of Alabama for its “Love Your Community” (LYC) program. It won in the “Urban” category with a population of more than 50,000. LYC is an anti-litter campaign launched in spring 2018 by the commission; Keep Mobile Beautiful, Inc.; and the Alabama Coastal Heritage Trust. With the support of Mobile County Environmental Services and Environmental Enforcement, it encourages citizen-involved ongoing cleanup and environment protection. It facilitates teams of volunteers to clean neighborhoods, businesses, churches and schools. Before COVID-19, more than 600 volunteers participated.

The program relaunched on April 22, 2021, and now offers a “Time-Banking” incentive program for teams to earn thousands of dollars in grant funding. More than 65 teams have joined the initiative, and the commission says that number is growing. Registered teams select a designated area to monitor and determine a cleanup schedule. The county supports the teams’ efforts by supplying litter grabbers, safety T-shirts, vests, gloves and disposable bags. Teams can participate in the Time-Banking program by submitting their volunteer hours and uploading cleanup photos through an online portal. Grants earned through the program must be used for projects in public rights-of-way and common areas and may include recycling, community gardens, beautification/park projects and other environmentally friendly project ideas. Funding for LYC is provided in part by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act.