Our Story

In June of 2017, I noticed that many of the routes I traveled on my daily walk were heavily littered. My friend and I made attempts to pick up the litter, but found to our dismay that it would return in a short time. I was disheartened by this and thought there has to be something we can do. I remembered an anti-litter campaign from the 70’s with advertisements showing the crying native-American that was saddened his land was being destroyed with litter. I Googled Keep America Beautiful to see if they were still in existence, and contacted them, who in turn put me in contact with Keep Nebraska Beautiful.

The KNB President and I attended our first City Council meeting in Nebraska City in August, 2017, to make a presentation and ask for support from the city. From there, a 12-person Community Team was created to develop Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, apply for 501c3 non-profit status and a state tax ID, create a Litter Index, and perform an area survey. The team also created an application for a part-time employee and submitted a budget for an application for a NDEQ grant.

KNCB formed a Board of Directors and became an official affiliate of KAB in June, 2018. The Board hired an Executive Director to handle day-to-day operations.

Since our inception, KNCB has been working towards raising awareness about the harmful effects of littering and the abundance of materials that end up in our landfills. We have been promoting litter reduction, recycling, and beautification. We make presentations in schools for all age levels, and also to clubs and organizations. KNCB holds two major cleanup events each year, and promotes groups to participate. KNCB has partnered with businesses to bring recycling opportunities to our community.

With the help of our citizens and many community partners, KNCB hopes to continue to make an impact on the beautification of our city and will continue in our pursuit of raising awareness among our residents.

Thank you for your participation in this vital cause!

Patty Coates, KNCB Board President

Our Affiliates