Gateway Streetscape Foundation is the organization responsible for planting trees, shrubs and flowers  for the City of Martinsville and Henry County.  Gateway endeavors to beautify the area and make it an appealing place for all citizens to enjoy.  Gateway is a volunteer based organization and thus relies on volunteers to accomplish its goals, thereby engaging and empowering citizens.  Gateway also is an environmental agent for the City of Martinsville and Henry County and promotes recycling, reusing and reducing along with litter control.  Since the area is depressed, Gateway’s projects enhance the areas image and will help to promote economic development and growth.

Gateway continues to plant new trees, shrubs and flowers while maintaining all the developed sites located throughout the area.  Environmental events and education are used to promote the care and protection of the natural assets in Martinsville and Henry County.  The executive director is actively supporting many initiatives in Martinsville and Henry County that will hopefully lead to a prosperous community again.  The initiatives include activities that promote the natural attributes as well as protect them.

Who We Are:
 
The Gateway Streetscape Foundation is a non-profit organization that is committed to improving the aesthetic beauty and appeal of the Martinsville-Henry County community through the orderly planting of trees, shrubs, and flowers.  It further promotes environmental stewardship which includes recycling, reducing, reusing, and litter control.

Gateway is ran by a volunteer board of directors which is composed of community, government and private citizens all interested in Gateway’s mission and success.  Permanent seats on the board include a City of Martinsville representative, a Henry County representative and a MURA representative.  The executive director of Gateway has a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Averett University.  Gateway employs a full time administrative assistant and a full time landscape assistant. Gateway is a volunteer based organization.

What We Do:

Gateway’s horticultural projects include:

• Uptown hanging baskets-baskets are planted with flowers and are hung in Uptown Martinsville from June until October.
• Oversees and cares for over 90 formally landscaped areas in the City of Martinsville and Henry County-these sites are weeded, planted for the changing seasons, mulched, pruned and maintained.
• Greenhouse production of flowers for the 90 sites-crops are grown for the spring and fall in the greenhouse-built with Harvest Foundation Grant funds.
• Tree Farm has been developed and is growing on Clearview Drive in the City of Martinsville.
• Memorial Tree Program-trees are purchased in memory of or in honor of individuals in the Uptown Martinsville business district.
• Curb Appeal Program-local businesses and individuals are honored for their work in making the area an attractive place to live.
• Welcome signs leading into the City of Martinsville and Henry County are planted and maintained by Gateway.
• Uptown Rail Trail-development is underway to improve and beautify the Uptown Rail Trail with original sculpture and landscaping. Funds are being provided from the Harvest Foundation for this project.
• Tree Ordinance passed in the City of Martinsville-developed the tree ordinance to protect the public trees in Martinsville.
• City of Martinsville named Tree City, USA by National Arbor Day Foundation since 2007.
• Replaced all the dead and dying trees in Uptown Martinsville.-120 new trees planted as replacements in Uptown business district with Harvest Foundation Grant.
• Arbor Day Celebration and youth poetry contest are planned for Uptown in April.

Major Awards Gateway has received:

• Gold Leaf Award 1999-International Society of Arboriculture Award for Outstanding Landscape Beautification.
• Keep Virginia Beautiful 2000 Landscape Excellence Award –first place for municipal projects for Kings Mountain Road.
• Keep Virginia Beautiful 2001 Landscape Excellence Award-first place for municipal project Uptown Farmer’s Market.
• Keep Virginia Beautiful 2003 Landscape Excellence Award-first place for Askin/ Overland/ Union block grant area for municipal project.
• Keep Virginia Beautiful 2003 Landscape Excellence Award-third place for Henry County Public Safety facility for municipal project.
• Scenic Virginia 2004 “Most Creative Scenic Improvements Award” for state.

Other honors:

• Above and Beyond Award from MURA
• Honorary FFA Chapter Degree
• Whole Village Award from Martinsville Education Association at Clearview Elementary School.

Gateways Environmental Projects Include:

• Teaching inmates about landscaping and environmental issues concerning litter control-inmates helped clean highways and assisted with landscaping with Harvest Grant.
• Household Hazardous Waste Disposal-two events are planned to take hazardous waste for local citizens. All types of paint and auto fuels are taken.  Lead acid batteries are taken and electronics as well.  One is done in April and the other is in October.
• Community Service program-court ordered individuals are sent out on litter details to rid the area of trash.
• Smith River Clean Ups-two river and highway litter pickups are planned for each year, one in February and one in October.
• Earth Day celebration is planned for every April.Car litter bags are given out free to all local citizens.
• Christmas Tree Recycling project-Christmas trees are ground into mulch in January of each year.
• Recycling Rate Report is compiled for City of Martinsville and Henry County and submitted to the state in April.
• Recycled Art Contest is conducted-children are given monetary prizes for their artwork that is made from recycled materials in November of every year.
• Environmental stewardship is encouraged through education on a yearly basis.
• Applies for and administers the DEQ yearly litter grant for City of Martinsville and Henry County.

Our Hopes for the Future:

Gateways Long Term Goals include:

• Identify and pursue available sources of funding and other contributions to ensure the long term success and viability of the foundation.
• Solicit funding from the City of Martinsville, Henry County, private funding, and grants.
• Develop and implement administration policies for the short and long term.
• Annual self-evaluation by board.
• Office staff
• Work programming
• Fund allocation
• Coordination
• Plan, implement, maintain and promote activities necessary to ensure the visual and environmental quality of Martinsville-Henry community.
• Design
• Plantings
• Maintenance
• Advocacy
• Promote awareness of the environment through efforts that include reducing, reusing and recycling. Litter control is emphasized.
• Events
• Reporting
• Workers
• Perform tasks necessary to promote an understanding of the direct and indirect benefits of the foundation’s programs.
• Volunteers
• Community Pride
• Education

The Harvest Foundation has enabled Gateway Streetscape to succeed with all its programs because their grant support has helped our programs expand and grow. Gateway’s work benefits all citizens that live in the City of Martinsville and Henry County and has far reaching effects.  Gateway Streetscape will continue to work towards its long term goals for the foreseeable future.