Green spaces address environmental, health and food insecurity issues

MARYSVILLE, Ohio, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To help increase the creation of community gardens and green spaces in underserved areas, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation has joined Keep America Beautiful's 2025 Martin Luther King Corridor Community Grants initiative.

The program awards grants to support projects that address inner-city heat islands in underserved communities through the planting of trees, shrubs, ground cover and grass. Grants will also be awarded for community gardens and orchards that mitigate food insecurity. The goal is to convert brown spaces, significantly hotter due to lack of vegetation, into green spaces with environmental, health and safety benefits.

“People want greener, healthier and more beautiful communities, but in underserved areas, resources often are scarce,” said Jennifer Lawson, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful. “This is why the MLK Corridor Community Grants are so important. They are a vehicle to bring communities and people together, creating special bonds grounded in the creation and enjoyment of natural landscapes.”

Brian Herrington, president of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation, added, “Earth Day is an ideal time to shine a light on the important role green spaces play in our lives. Beyond reducing heat islands and addressing food insecurity, they are a catalyst for environmental and wellness benefits, from helping clean the air to fostering positive social interactions. Earth Day serves as our reminder to support green spaces in communities year round.”

Grant applications were open to Keep America Beautiful affiliates, nonprofits, local governments and other community organizations. Grant winners will be notified by the end of April 2025. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation is contributing $200,000 to be awarded through 2026.

To learn how communities and individuals can do their part to create greener neighborhoods, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation encourages people to join in Keep America Beautiful’s Greatest American Cleanup.

About The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation
The mission of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation is to inspire, connect and cultivate a community of purpose. The Foundation is deeply rooted in helping create healthier communities, empower the next generation, and preserve our planet. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that funds non-profit entities that support its core initiatives in the form of grants, endowments and multi-year capital gifts. For more information, visit www.scottsmiraclegrofoundation.org.

About Keep America Beautiful
A leading national nonprofit, Keep America Beautiful inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. We envision a country in which every community is a clean, green, and beautiful place to live. For more information about Keep America Beautiful, visit www.kab.org

For media inquiries:

Tom Matthews
Chief Communications Officer
tom.matthews@scotts.com
937-844-3864

Leslie McClain
Vice President, Communications
lmcclain@kab.org