Prince William County Neighborhood Leaders Group (NLG) recently met in March for another great exchange of information. The NLG was conceived as a solution to assist in the education and encouragement of residents who want to improve their community, have questions about HOA and non-HOA neighborhoods, and are willing to implement ideas and share solutions to make every neighborhood a great place to live.
Hosted by the Neighborhood Services Division and facilitated by the new PWC Neighborhood Coordinator, Cathy Holtzlander, with assistance from Neighborhood Specialist, Thea Rome, the NLG provides meeting space, guest speakers, educational tools , and best of all, peer to peer communication.
Our guest speaker for March was Kiliaen Anderson, Executive Director for Keep Prince William Beautiful. (KPWB) Anderson described the work KPWB accomplishes with the help of volunteers. For example, KPWB currently hosts 28 active Adopt a Spot locations. In the first 2 quarters of the fiscal year, approximately 130 volunteers collected 1.56 tons of litter and Anderson stated they are looking forward to increased participation. .
Kiliaen also discussed recruiting volunteers from the community and suggested scout troops may be a great source of assistance in neighborhood projects. She suggests contacting local troops using this link and your zip code to find troops in your area. Anderson also spoke briefly about additional programs administered by KPWB, like community cleanups, providing many ways volunteers can help out in our community.
Holtzlander described the PWC Community Cleanups, including dates, times and locations. A flyer is provided for all the information for 2013 scheduled cleanups. Holtzlander indicated the cost for a community cleanup is expensive when obtaining a roll off for use by a neighborhood that includes a hauler and personnel required. PWC offers alternatives for smaller cleanups, like pick up of debris from a neighborhood cleanup. KPWB offers vouchers that may be helpful to HOA neighborhoods for special pickups.
NLG invites you to attend the next gathering of local community leaders, on April 24, where Inspector Tracey O’Connor will join Thea Rome to address illegal roadside signs in PWC. All issues begin in the neighborhoods. You can make a difference in yours!
