Goleta Valley Beautiful announced Tuesday that it will receive a $10,000 grant from the Alliance for Community Trees and The Home Depot Foundation.
The challenge grant is part of the National NeighborWoods Program, made possible through the support of The Home Depot Foundation.
NeighborWoods is a nationwide initiative that engages the public in hands-on action to produce tangible improvements to community health through tree planting and stewardship. Goleta Vally Beautiful is one of 11 organizations nationwide that will receive a NeighborWoods award in support of partnerships between urban forestry nonprofits and affordable housing providers.
Goleta Valley Beautiful organizes beautification efforts, environmental education and public policy advocacy to support a healthy urban forest and encourage community environmental involvement. In a project that will affect more than 700 residents living in 221 low-income housing units, Goleta Valley Beautiful will use this grant to plant 70 native shade trees on four affordable housing properties in the Goleta Valley area of Santa Barbara County.
Through partnerships with The Home Depot, Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County, People’s Self Help Housing and the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara, Goleta Vally Beautiful will implement four or more volunteer housing projects and develop matching contributions to complete the tree planting program.
The 70 shade trees will beautify the involved communities and provide energy conservation by reducing summer temperatures in south- and west-facing building walls.
— Ken Knight is executive director of Goleta Valley Beautiful.