Velo Valets Gives Back believes that people should take responsibility for things for which they are able to be responsible. Sometimes that means speaking up where others are uncomfortable or afraid, and sometimes that means being part of a group that is trying to make a difference. This notion has led VVGB to be involved with a variety of groups, all of which are doing great things in the Greenville area. We are also working to develop a group that helps tell the story of people on bikes in the area, and why we’re an asset.
Advocacy
Advocacy Initiatives
ECHO GRANT
Opioids are a huge problem in our country right now, and Greenville County is leading the way in South Carolina. There are more prescriptions written, more pills dispensed, more overdoses and more deaths linked to opioids in Greenville County than in any other county in South Carolina.
This is one reason Greenville County received the ECHO grant. I was lucky enough to be invited to the task force here in Greenville working to build best practices for fighting this epidemic. The hope is that these practices can then be replicated in other areas. My particular interest is on the prescriber side. Medicine has finally realized that opioids ARE potentially addictive, even when prescribed appropriately and/or when patients have “real” pain. Education of prescribers (doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners) is key to beginning to end this epidemic. There are many other pieces that need to be addressed as well, but this is the piece with which I can help.
SANS SOUCI NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE
I am a board member on the Sans Souci Neighborhood Alliance, which helps me stay in touch with what’s going on in our shop’s neighborhood and also shape what may happen in the future.
STERLING COMMUNITY CENTER ADVISORY BOARD
I am part of the Sterling Community Center’s Advisory Board, where I contribute wherever I can. I am also a member of the Clemson External Advisory Board for the College of Behavior, Social and Health Sciences. This is a relatively new position, so more will come of that later. And I am a member of Greenville Dreams, which works with neighborhoods to help build on the strengths already present in those areas.