Litter Fund Meeting This Week

[jennifer cole]

Dear Colleagues:

 

Some of you may have heard that I took a leave from Clean Fairfax this spring so that I spend time with my father who died on May 27^th in Connecticut.  I am now back and wondering if there is interest in this group continuing.  If there is, I would like to suggest that I ask DEQ and the Litter Board to consider annual operating funds for the Virginia Council on Litter Prevention and Recycling, perhaps just a few thousand dollars from the monies that the DEQ is able to keep. This would allow us to have a little bit of funding for organization wide promotion or an annual meeting or whatever the group would like. However, if there’s no interest in such a thing, I will not ask. If that’s the case, perhaps we should discuss what will become of VCLPR.

 

In addition, there is a Litter Fund meeting on Thursday at DEQ at 10:30 if anyone is interested in attending. As you probably saw in a previous email, our dear friend Sheila Mary has gone to work in another division and our  DEQ contact is now Steve Coe. He has let me know that the first batch of applications for the litter grand has been sent to the financial office for processing so checks should be arriving soon.

 

Welcome to fall,

Jen

 

Jennifer Cole

Director, Clean Fairfax Council

12000 Government Center Parkway

Suite 458

Fairfax, VA 22035

www.cleanfairfax.org

703-324-5471 (office)  571-338-6710 (mobile)

 

[Jenny O'Neill]

Hey, Jen, this is Jenny O'Neill on the Eastern Shore of VA. I run Waste Watchers, an independent, non profit, all volunteer environmental group that promotes recycling and fights litter. Here is our website: wastewatchers.esva.net Once, a few years ago I came inland to a VCLPR meeting but I never really understood how we could help each other. Maybe you can open my mind. We are trying to get money to put out a booklet, modeled on one by Gloria Puffinburger. Is it possible to apply for money? The person in our area who is 'officially' the recipient of your goodies is Randy Fischer who works for our Public Works Dept. He supervises community service for people by getting them to pick up litter (of which there is a more than gracious plenty.) Is there anyway Waste Watchers could get some of the money?

At any rate, I really want to give my sympathies to you on the loss of your father. Both my parents have passed but I still miss them something terrible. 

Thanks for all the good work you are doing. Let me know how and if we can be more involved. 

Thanks, 

Jenny O'Neill

[Jennifer Cole]

Hi Jenny:

Unfortunately there is no way via the council to apply for the litter tax money—it just isn’t set up that way. You would need to talk to Randy about whether he will work with you. 

 

There are other grant opportunities, however throughout the commonwealth and the US for groups like yours. For example, Cox Communication gives funding, so do area banks, and small businesses, community foundations etc.  But I would first see how Randy and his department can create a partnership where you do some of the work, maybe some educational outreach, in exchange for some small amount of funding for your brochure. 

 

Also approach the bank where you do business, either personally or professionally and see if they will underwrite the brochure for you.  Banks love to put their name on such things…

 

Yours, Jen