PPG employees help communities shine ahead of America’s 250th anniversary 

Published : 2-Jul-2026

As communities across the United States gear up to celebrate America's 250th anniversary, PPG employees are helping ensure the places we call home are ready to shine. Through a partnership with Keep America Beautiful®, employee volunteers rolled up their sleeves to complete local beautification projects that enhanced public spaces, strengthened community pride and created lasting impact.  

“These efforts reflect PPG's commitment to protecting and beautifying the world, while connecting to our focuses on community sustainability and volunteerism,” said Malesia Dunn, executive director, PPG Foundation and corporate global social responsibility. “Together, PPG employees are not only preparing communities for a historic milestone in the U.S.—they're helping build cleaner, more vibrant places for future generations to enjoy.” 

From litter collection to planting trees and gardens, teams in Greensboro, North Carolina; Huntsville, Alabama; Pacoima, California; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, completed projects in areas nearby PPG facilities.   

"For the past five years, the PPG Foundation has been an invaluable partner in helping Keep America Beautiful create cleaner, greener, and more vibrant communities across the country. Together, we've engaged thousands of volunteers in hands-on projects that beautify neighborhoods, strengthen community pride, and demonstrate the power of people coming together to make a difference,” said Erin Slaughter, Director of Development, Keep America Beautiful.  

“As we look toward America's 250th birthday and beyond, partnerships like this are essential—not only to improving our shared spaces today, but to inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards and civic leaders who will help keep our communities thriving for years to come," continued Slaughter. 

Planting for the future in Greensboro 

Together with Greensboro Beautiful and the City of Greensboro, volunteers completed a planting project at the Greensboro Arboretum Parks & Garden. 

According to Malinda Williams, Greensboro shipping manager, volunteers helped to enhance and care for a meaningful, historical space. Their efforts focused on planting greenery and improving the overall appearance of the Greensboro Arboretum Parks & Garden. 

“By coming together with a shared purpose, we’re not only improving our community today—we’re lending a hand to build a cleaner, safer and greener future we hope to support for years to come,” said Williams. 

Education + Beautification in Huntsville 

With local affiliate Operation Green Team, volunteers in Huntsville constructed new educational garden beds at the Richard Showers Center to support youth education while beautifying the surrounding area. 

Cleaning up our headquarters 

In Pittsburgh, 25 PPG employee volunteers joined local Keep America Beautiful affiliate Allegheny CleanWays to collect litter from around the River Way and Allegheny River areas. 

Beautifying California 

In partnership with Keep LA Beautiful and Keep California Beautiful, volunteers in Pacoima lived our purpose to protect and beautify the communities where we live and work by picking up litter around the city-owned Hansen Dam Golf Course.   

A spotlight on Keep America Beautiful: A PPG Foundation partner 

Not only is it America’s 250th anniversary, the PPG Foundation is celebrating 75 years of community impact in 2026. In the PPG Foundation’s 75th year, we’re proud to partner with Keep America Beautiful and its local affiliates to create cleaner and greener communities. 

Keep America Beautiful is the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization. For more than 70 years, Keep America Beautiful has worked to inspire and educate people to take action every day to improve and beautify their communities. Through its national network of affiliates and partners, Keep America Beautiful supports litter prevention, recycling, beautification and community greening efforts across the country.  

Keep America Beautiful has been named Engage for Good’s 2026 Nonprofit of the Year, an award recognizing the impact of strong, values-driven partnerships that bring communities together to improve public spaces and foster pride. 

Keep America Beautiful Volunteer Projects: By the Numbers: 

  • 4 volunteer projects near PPG facilities 
  • 68 volunteers 
  • 177 hours of service 
  • 1 mile of public right-of-way cleaned 
  • 3+ acres of community space 
  • 1,327 bags or pounds of debris collected 
  • 240 plants and 7 trees planted 
  • 5 raised garden beds, including one ADA-accessible bed, built