Keeping the sparkle in the city by the sea takes more than picking up litter. Beautify Corpus Christi tosses a lot of trash in cans, but a new board president and a new executive director have broadened the nonprofit’s scope to include planting, painting and general upkeep of the city’s neighborhood parks. Wetter weather and a possible end to a years-long drought also have helped encourage the organization to get back to digging in the dirt.
“We are going to look at work on inland parks,” Executive Director Chelsea Craig said. “We are looking at more community-based projects, things that tourists won’t necessarily go to but that will benefit our residents.”
Beautify Corpus Christi kicks its fundraising into high gear this month with its annual La Noche Bonita fundraiser April 5. The food- and beverage-tasting event features dishes from area restaurants, wine and more than 25 craft and microbrew beers.
“We’ll have a DJ and honor two citizens of the year,” she said. “Dress is casual. It’s a really fun event.”
Individuals and businesses can buy tickets, tables or sponsorships online at beautifycorpuschristi.org.
You also can sign up online to be a year-round member. Always a major revenue source in the past, membership drives dried up with the rain over the past two years. Beautify Corpus Christi went dormant for about 18 months when the one and only employee moved to Austin. Craig was hired in October 2013 and has been busy ever since preparing for this spring’s big fundraising push while also leading community projects, including replanting Cole Park and Adopt-a-Beach cleanups.
A graduate of Baylor University and a new mother, Craig spent her first few months on the job setting up an interactive website to help facilitate community involvement and fundraising. You can now log onto beautifycorpuschristi.org to give time and/or money and buy tickets to the fundraiser.
Every project depends on volunteer time and donated funds, she stressed. Membership dropped to zero during the 18 months without a director. She is now working to rebuild supporter rolls. The new website provides digital outreach to the community, making that job a little easier.
“We don’t have an easily accessible store front,” Craig said. “The website gives everyone an easy way to be a part of Beautify Corpus.” In other words, the real office for Beautify Corpus Christi is on the streets and beaches!
Upcoming projects include maintaining Cole Park, a community garden planting at Garcia Art Center and a tree-planting project at an elementary school. Long term, the board will be researching where to plant 50 donated trees along with other plans.
“We want to figure out where we can best complement efforts of the residents,” Craig said. “To me, you can beautify things all you want; if you don’t invest in the community to get involved, it’s not going to be sustainable. In everything we do, I’m trying to get you personally involved.”
To become a member, volunteer your time or to do both, log onto beautifycorpuschristi.org. You also can give Craig a call at (361) 946-3996.
