Eastern Kentucky Pride Inc

Your donation to Eastern Kentucky PRIDE will:

• Make sure volunteers have the supplies they need (trash bags, safety vests, gloves) to pick up the litter that would otherwise clog local waterways, threaten wildlife, and hamper tourism.
• Promote public awareness that will cut down on litter and illegal dumps.
• Equip teachers who want to open their students' eyes to the world around them through hands-on environmental education activities.

Here is how Eastern Kentucky PRIDE works. (By the way, folks around here just call us "PRIDE.") PRIDE is a grassroots initiative that promotes “Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment” in 42 counties of Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

We -- citizens, elected officials, businesses, teachers, students -- are working together to clean our waterways, get rid of solid waste problems, and educate ourselves to be good stewards.

PRIDE is important for:

• Improving the health and quality of life of our people.
• Safeguarding our wildlife.
• Realizing our tourism potential, which will grow jobs and improve our standard of living.
• Protecting water quality for the entire Commonwealth and beyond, since 6 rivers get their start here (Green River Basin, headwaters in Casey County; Upper Cumberland River Basin, headwaters in Letcher County; Kentucky River Basin, headwaters in Letcher County; Licking River Basin, headwaters in Magoffin County; Big Sandy River Basin, headwaters in Letcher County; Little Sandy River Basin, headwaters in Elliott County).

We've made tremendous progress since we started in 1997. For example, we've removed 2,885 illegal dumps and installed 7,305 septic systems for low-income homeowners.

We're particularly proud of our volunteer base. Volunteers are the heart, hands, and feet of PRIDE. Since 1997, PRIDE has mobilized:

• 418,000+ volunteers 
• 1,393,000+ volunteer hours

The PRIDE initiative was launched in 1997 by Congressman Hal Rogers and the late General James Bickford, the former Secretary of the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet. Their vision was to restore the natural beauty of their native region by encouraging citizens to take responsibility for protecting their environment and by providing the education and resources they need to do so.

Our nonprofit organization -- Eastern Kentucky PRIDE, Inc. -- coordinates the PRIDE initiative across 42 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky.

We are funded by grants and donations. We sure would appreciate your help!