In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of service, United Way is partnering with the City of Greenville, Greenville County’s Litter Ends Here and PalmettoPride to organize neighborhood cleanups across our community. (Volunteer)
REEMGVL’s King Day Forum on Economic Justice
Janurary 16th, 6pm
Phillis Wheatley Community Center 40 John McCarroll Way Greenville, SC 29607
The City and United Way of the Piedmont partner to help further Dr. King’s legacy by celebrating Jan. 20 as it was intended — not as a day “off,” but rather a day “on,” and a day committed to community volunteer service.
MLK Jazz Celebration
Janurary 6th, 7pm
Cleveland Park 141 North Cleveland Park Drive Spartanburg, SC 29303
The celebration includes keynote speaker Dr. Adolf Brown III, music from the Sounds of Diversity Choir & Orchestra, the MLK Awards for Humanitarian Excellence and announcement of the poster and photo contest winners held throughout all Spartanburg County Schools.
Anderson County
Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration
Janurary 16th, 5pm
Anderson Sports & Entertainment Center 3027 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Anderson, SC 29625
Community comes together to celebrate the life and legacy of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Using this time to renew commitment to the ongoing work of social justice and racial equity.
Saving Teens in the Upstate from the Rising Tide of Addiction!
Did you know that teens in our community report that 3 out of 10 of their middle school friends are vaping or experimenting with substances?
Did you know this number grows to approximately 8 out of 10 among high school students?
Teen substance use has become our country’s #1 public health crisis.
While working at the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office 5 years ago, our founder and CEO, Martine Helou-Allen, had a vision that every teen- and their family- live free from drug use and addiction. After years of passion and research, she created RIZE Prevention in June 2021.RIZE Prevention offers innovative, evidence-based prevention and early intervention programs as a solution to the rising tide of addiction that is compromising the quality of life of our youth and their families today. Our mission is to empower teens to resist drug use and make healthy lifestyle choices.
Our future, and that of our communities, depends on today’s prevention efforts. Substance dependency is a chronic problem, therefore why not prevent it from ever happening in the first place? RIZE’s programs have been developed in partnership with federal government agencies, in addition to the SC State Department of Education, using the latest prevention science research and recommendations. Our programs “go upstream” and reach teens before they experiment with or initiate drug use. RIZE approaches teens with respect and encouragement. We seek to empower them by giving them knowledge about drug use and active resistance skills, but also enlightening them to why they may be seeking substances to solve their emotional issues, and how this “self-medicating” can lead them to a life of addiction.
iRIZE in Schools
RIZE Prevention’s iRIZE Program in middle schools changes kids’ mindsets about substance use. We teach them that drug use shouldn’t be considered a “rite of passage”, a means to gain autonomy, or a risk-free way to address their emotional needs. The iRIZE Program is designed to support a young teen’s journey of development by engaging their power of choice and providing them with support and skills to resist drugs and live positive lives.
Components of the iRIZE program include:
Motivational presentations
Mentorship
Important life skills guidance
Parent resources
Mental/behavioral health resources and financial assistance
iRIZE Club
This 2022-2023 School year iRIZE is at the following middle schools in the Upstate:
Hillcrest Middle School
Berea Middle School
Greer Middle School
Woodmont Middle School
Laurens Middle School
Gray Court-Owings Middle School
Hickory Tavern Middle School
Sanders Middle School
Support RIZE Prevention: Help reach more teens in the Upstate!
Visit our website at rizemovement.org and join our email list to find out more information and get news about events, volunteer opportunities, or corporate sponsorships. Or you can donate online and help save the lives of teens facing the battle against drug use and addiction in the upstate of South Carolina. Your donation will go towards being able to provide more middle schools in the upstate with the iRIZE Program.
Greenville, SC [January 3, 2023] – Ten at the Top (TATT) has announced the promotion of Justine Allen to Assistant Director. Allen has served in the role of Program & Event Manager since joining TATT in March 2020.
In her expanded role, Allen will continue coordinating the capacity-building efforts of TATT’s current initiative-focused committees and task forces. She will also oversee TATT’s three large annual regional events: Pique Young Professionals Summit, Blues, Brews & BBQ, and Celebrating Successes as well as TATT’s Upstate Regional Summit, which will next be held in September 2024.
In addition, during the first half of 2023, Allen and TATT Vice Chair for Initiatives Mark McKinney will meet with TATT partners and regional stakeholders to identify the next big regional-focused capacity-building initiatives that TATT will concentrate on between 2023-2025.
“Justine joined TATT during the peak of the COVID-19 Pandemic, but hit the ground running and hasn’t stopped,” said TATT Executive Director Dean Hybl. “She has done an outstanding job developing relationships with Upstate stakeholders and service providers over the last two and a half years and is playing a critical role in TATT’s efforts to build the collective capacity of the Upstate.
“With her additional responsibilities, Justine will continue to help TATT serve as a neutral convenor and place where stakeholders from different areas and sectors can come together to address regional issues that impact economic vitality and quality of life in the region.”
A graduate of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Justine’s background has been in event planning and management, having originally come to the Upstate to work as an event planner, charity liaison, and volunteer coordinator on the BMW Charity Pro-Am golf tournament. She lives in Greenville with her husband, Steve, and daughter Gabby.
About Ten at the Top
Comprised of public, private, and civic leaders from across the ten-county Upstate South Carolina Region, Ten at the Top was created to connect and encourage regional collaboration through data-driven research and regular convening of leaders and citizens to address key issues facing the region. Ten at the Top works with regional partners to foster collaboration and strategic planning to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life for Upstate residents both today and as the region continues to grow. For more information, visit www.tenatthetop.org.
iRIZE in Schools
