Today we’d like to introduce you to Traude Sander.
Hi Traude, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in Africa which taught me to appreciate and protect nature. I’ve spent my career in the service industry, working for state and local governments and as a private consultant, but moved to the non-profit field in 2021. In my previous role as the Lexington County Recycling Coordinator, I partnered with Keep the Midlands Beautiful on several projects and events so when they needed help, I was eager to step into the role.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I wish I could say it’s been easy and smooth but no, it has not. The rules for non-profits are different so I’ve learned a lot. Our 1940’s house converted into an office that was donated to us requires over $100,000 in repairs so I’ve learned a lot more about maintenance than I anticipated. Funding is also a constant issue and the best employees are poached by bigger, higher paying organizations. I’ve expanded and strengthened our board, budget, staff, programs, and events but now we’ve outgrown our space and must move before we can grow anymore. We’ll keep working hard to improve but no, it’s not at all a smooth road.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Keep the Midlands Beautiful is one of over 750 affiliates of Keep America Beautiful in the US and one of 38 in South Carolina. While many affiliates are responsible for a river, lake, town, city, or county, we are the only one in the country responsible for TWO counties. We oversee both Lexington and Richland counties with about 750,000 residents, 19 municipalities, the capital city, and Lake Murray.
As a Keep America Beautiful affiliate, we are required to (1) reduce litter, (2) increase recycling, and (3) enhance beautification. We prioritize these in this order. We coordinate and manage eight litter prevention programs, five recycling programs, and at least one large-scale beautification project each year and we provide education on all three.
We manage approximately 710 roads and waterways through the Adopt-A-Highway, Street, and Waterway programs, we coordinate monthly litter pickups, we have an annual cleanup on Lake Murray with help from 30 organizations and about 400 volunteers, and we supervise over 50 adults and youth assigned to community service each year. We also provide six free paper shredding drop-off events for residents annually, collect over 5,500 pairs of used shoes, provide free foldable trash and recycling containers for events, and collect plastic bags and used textiles to be recycled. W recently provided about 500 free trees to residents to replace those lost in Hurricane Helene and we’re installing “Greetings from” murals in Swansea, Lexington, and Columbia.
We are a small organization making a big impact! In 2025, we had 6,737 volunteers spend 18,057 hours removing 217,964 pounds of litter including 708 bags of recyclables from roads and waterways across Lexington and Richland Counties over the course of 817 litter pickup events.
We have volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups of all sizes and types. We also need donations and company sponsorships of our programs and events. For more information, go to https://kmbsc.org, email programs@kmbsc.org or call 803-733-1139.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
As a child, I was always very friendly and outgoing and I have always been a leader. In elementary school I was one of two children in my class selected to help the teacher and I organized a face painting booth at the annual 4th of July celebration held for the Americans in town. (I grew up in Botswana, Africa.) In high school, I served on the Student Advisory Committee and organized a student-led production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. My friend and I produced and directed it. I grew up traveling all over the world which gave me a deep appreciation of people, life, and nature. I’ve learned not to take anything for granted, to respect everyone, always, and to always do my best. I was extremely fortunate to have an amazing childhood so I want to give back as much as I can.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kmbsc.org
- Instagram: @kmbgreen803
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kmbgreen803/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/keep-the-midlands-beautiful/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keepthemidlandsbeautiful
