Copperas Cove titleholder wins grant for new KCCB project

Special to the Leader-Press

Junior Mister Five Hills Nathan Garner led the Copperas Cove Five Hills royalty in a clean-up of Eagle Pass in conjunction with Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful’s waterway clean-up. It is Garner’s goal that the waterways, parks, roadways, and neighborhoods will be kept clean thanks to a grant he applied for and won to support a new KCCB project. 
Garner is one of 38 fourth through sixth graders across the United States who was awarded a Youth Serve America Allowance Grant sponsored by Hillshire Farm SNACKED! to create the change he wants to make in his community. 
“I am extremely excited about winning,” the fourth grader said. “I didn’t think that they would actually pick me for the grant.”
Youth-designed projects could focus on any issue area that the youth changemaker cares about and thinks is important to his community – or the world. Funding from the Allowance Grant is to be used to plan a project that betters the child’s community between March 1 through the end of the school year in June. 
Garner received $500 to support KCCB’s project, Adopt a Roadside, Adopt a Park, Adopt a Spot program. The money will be utilized to purchase signage, poles, vests, gloves, and grabbers. Each group would receive these supplies as well as signage at their adopted area.
“Thank you to Nathan Garner and the Copperas Cove Five Hills Scholarship Pageant, we are able to revitalize our Adopt a Road/Spot/Program,” said Roxanne Flores-Achmad, Executive Director of Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful. “I am humbled and full of excitement to partner with Nathan and look forward to putting the program into action.”
In October 2020, Flores-Achmad rolled out the contract for different school groups, organizations, and even large families to adopt designated areas throughout the community. 
However, with the impact of COVID-19 and lack of funding, the program had not been implemented. 
“I am looking forward to working with KCCB to get the Adopt a Spot/Street project started,” Garner said. “Keeping the environment clean and safe for the future is something I feel strong about and this money will help us work towards the goal.”
The Adopt a Roadside, Adopt a Park, Adopt a Spot program requires participants to undergo safety training twice a year and clean their designated location four times annually. The participating group/family/organization must commit for cleaning the location for a minimum of two years. For more information, contact Flores-Achmad at 254-547-4221, extension 6704 or rflores-achmad@copperascovetx.gov.