continued from page [Moore], and ….

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[Moore], and [Toombs-Montgomery EMS Director] Drew James, and the County, [we’re here]. We’re headed up by the City of Vidalia Fire Department, but we’ve partnered with the County, and this is a great location for the building.”

This central location, which is situated behind the Toombs County EMA/EMS Building, was made possible through the donation of a metal storage building, gifted to the organization by Black & Veitch, which is currently overseeing the construction of the Toombs Solar Project along Georgia Highway 297. “It’s a large project,” Project Coordinator Audrey Elking emphasized. “Our whole landscape is 2,030 acres that we are working on, so we knew we were going to make an impact on the area. We wanted to come in and not just take up space. We wanted to give back since we’re going to be a part of the community for a while.”

She continued, “We were looking for some different avenues to reach out. We had some county leaders reach out and visit the site so that we could tell them what we are about, and one of the ideas that came from that meeting was helping out SafeKids. I was put in contact with Robert [Tillman], and asked him what needs the group had, and storage was one.”

The company purchased the building to help with this storage issue, and the Toombs County Emergency Management Agency agreed to allow the building to sit at its office on Meadows Lane. “The EMA/EMS building has land where the building can be placed. We can look after it, and it is in a safe location. It enhances the citizenry of Toombs County to participate in such a great program,” Emergency Management Director Lynn Moore remarked.

When asked why SafeKids was the company’s pick to invest in, Elking emphasized, “We just want to help out where we can, and this is a great organization that Robert is running. Not only is everyone very passionate about what they’re doing and you can see that, but they’re making it work with what they have. We just want to help them be even more successful at what they do by just helping them have a little efficiency, such as having one central location for everything. We want to help grow the organization that is actually making a difference in this community.”

SafeKids Toombs County is a division of both SafeKids Worldwide and SafeKids Georgia, which focus on ensuring children grow up safely. “The ultimate purpose of SafeKids is childhood safety, from birth to age 18. We are tasked with water safety, car safety, ATV safety, fire safety, etc. We deal with the Babysitter Program and driving safety – any type of safety program that you can think of, is under our umbrella,” Tillman clarified.

The organization works to complete car seat checks, host annual Lowe’s Safety Day events, and more. It is completely funded through donations and fundraising efforts, and all those who participate are volunteers to the program. “SafeKids is a great resource, but it takes money to run it, so that’s where every donation helps. Thus, we’re grateful for every bit that people give,” Tillman added. “Every dime that is raised for SafeKids goes to SafeKids. It doesn’t go to pay anyone.”

The Vidalia Fire Department, Toombs County EMS/EMA, Lyons Police Department, Lyons Main Street Association, Memorial Health Meadows Hospital, Black & Veitch, Lowe’s, Georgia State Patrol, Teens in the Driver’s Seat, and more all come together to help promote safety through the program. “There is a crew of people that participate as a part of this coalition, and it’s steadily growing,” Tillman commented.

As for leadership, alongside Tillman, Paramedic Samantha McGarrah acts as the person second in command in the operation, as she works to find resources and grants to help further the program, and Firefighter Jamie Byrd acts as an administrative assistant to compete the paperwork side of the program. “I am so appreciative of all they do,” Tillman said. “It allows me to make connections and find ways to improve the program.” He also shared his gratitude for the organization’s small board of directors, which includes Toombs-Montgomery EMS Director Drew James, Paramedic Kari Page, and EMA Director Lynn Moore.

“It takes leadership, and Robert does a great job,” Moore remarked. “I’ve been a member of the SafeKids program since back when it first began, and I’ve seen it grow, I’ve seen it drop off, I’ve seen several stages. The previous director did a wonderful job, and then she retired, and Robert has taken over. [The program] emphasizes the fact that Toombs County and the citizens of Vidalia, Lyons, and Toombs County are interested in their kids. SafeKids encompasses everything in the county that has to do with kids, and especially, the car seat program. There are people out there who do not know how to put a car seat in the car – they just stick it in there and hook the belts up. But we are able to give those classes and train people the secure ways to do it. It is a wonderful program and it is great for Toombs County.”