These unparalleled times of the last few months have impacted us all, not least of all our small businesses and restaurants.
An affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and New Mexico Clean & Beautiful, AC&B was established in 1994 to prevent graffiti, eradicate litter, and unify our community. This undertaking certainly cannot be done alone; it takes a village.
The mission of AC&B is to make a difference in part by cleaning up, pursuing grant funding, and partnering with other local businesses and nonprofits. With employment positions open for 14- to 25-year-olds during the summer, students can develop a positive work ethic, responsibility, and care for the environment.
In the spring, AC&B spearheaded several events and projects for Artesia patrons. First was an Essay and Poster Contest for students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. This year’s theme was My School, My Artesia. Then, on the first Monday in April, AC&B held Adopt-a-Tree where neighbors could pick up a tree to plant. AC&B also held the Recycled Art Show, hosted by the Artesia Public Library, for people of all ages.
The summer months bring more opportunities to clean up and clean out. In the past, AC&B has partnered with HF Sinclair in providing rollaway dumpsters at various locations around town. This is a great service that allows people to dispose of unneeded items that may have been piling up. While electronics are not to be thrown out with regular trash, no problem! AC&B has that covered as well. This year, on June 16th and 17th at the Eddy County fairgrounds, citizens can safely discard unwanted electronics. Additionally, thanks to CARC Document Destruction, sensitive documents can be destroyed as well.
As for today, we are right in the middle of the Great American Cleanup. From March 1st-June 22nd, over 400 affiliates of Keep America Beautiful and thousands of volunteers will work together to clean up cities, country sides, and waterways across America. While we all have a part to play year-round, this is an especially good time to pick a day, gather a group, and spend a few hours cleaning up around our city.
For more information on volunteer opportunities, be sure to reach out to Linda Stevens. She can be reached by phone at 575-748-3192 or by email at artesia_cab@hotmail.com.
Let’s all do our part to keep Artesia beautiful!
Community spotlight originally published in Focus on Artesia 2023 Summer edition.
