PRIDE, or Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment, serves 38 counties in Southern and Eastern Kentucky. Launched in 1997 by Congressman Hal Rogers and the late General James Bickford, former secretary of the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet, PRIDE serves 38 counties in southern and eastern Kentucky. With the vision of restoring the natural beauty of the native region, and by encouraging citizens to take responsibility for protecting their environment, this is to be done by providing the resources needed to accomplish this goal.

The mission of PRIDE is to unite volunteers along with the resources of federal, state and local governments in order to clean the region's waterways, end illegal trash dumps and promote environmental awareness and education, while renewing pride in southern and eastern Kentucky. The PRIDE initiative focuses people's attention on the pollution problems in our region and looks for ways to fix those problems.

By working together PRIDE encourages every citizen in the regions 38 counties to become involved and do his or her part to help clean up southern and eastern Kentucky. Streams filled with trash and raw sewage are no longer safe to swim in, or for the wildlife to drink. Open dumps are havens for diseases, which can be carried by animals to humans. This pollution affects the health and quality of life of everyone in eastern and southern Kentucky and makes our region an unappealing place for business and tourism.

Bell-Whitley CAA in conjunction with the Cumberland Valley RC&D and PRIDE has undertaken responsibility for the administration of the "Homeowner Septic System Grant Program" in Whitley County. The program targets homeowners with septic systems that are currently operating with the use of a straight pipe, failing system, or located in a sewer service area and not hooked onto the sewer line.

For more information, please contact us at Bell-Whitley Community Action Agency, Inc. in Bell County at 606-337-3044 or in Whitley County at 606-549-3933