[00:00:07] Speaker A: Well, hello there. Welcome back to just say something's weekly podcast. This is Philip Clark with just say something. And remember, you can always find
[email protected]. or, you know, there is that thing called the telephone that you can reach us. We've had this number forever and ever. 864-467-4099 so, you know, if you ever need anything, that's the way to reach us. So we have a repeat guest with us today. Scott McMahan from Cafe west is here with us today, and I'm really excited to have him here today because he's going to tell us or share with you about an event that we collectively have coming up on Thursday, July 11. Scott, welcome back.
[00:01:11] Speaker B: Thanks. Nice to be again.
[00:01:14] Speaker A: So tell us a little bit about the event, but let's back up a little bit and why the event?
[00:01:23] Speaker B: Okay, well, as you mentioned, I'm part of Cafe west, but after a conversation with you maybe about six months ago, maybe a little longer.
[00:01:35] Speaker A: A little longer, I think we have.
[00:01:38] Speaker B: Created a whole company designed to help nonprofits in our community. And just say something is the very first one.
[00:01:49] Speaker A: All right. Right out of the bat, it was.
[00:01:52] Speaker B: Born out of our idea on the couch at Cafe west.
[00:01:55] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:01:56] Speaker B: So on July 11, we are throwing a music event to create buzz, content support for your cause. The opioid problem in South Carolina.
It has been amazing, reaching out to people, and so many people want to help. I've got the bands interested in helping and what can they do? And sound engineers and fire forge, they didn't even ask questions. They're like, how can we help? It's been fantastic. The social media platforms that are throwing in behind it.
So we're throwing a party to announce what we're doing. Have fun, learn a lot. Meet you the other charities that are involved here in the upstate with the opioid problem.
And sell some coffee and, well, really just have fun.
[00:02:49] Speaker A: Okay. All right, so we're doing a concert at Fire Forge Brewery on Washington street. Yes, downtown Greenville on Thursday, July 11. What are the bands?
[00:03:04] Speaker B: The first band is Doctor Don and the Medicine men.
I happened to see them at a local show not long ago, and after seeing them, I immediately went behind stage and asked Don if he would want to pitch in, be part of the program, be part of the campaign.
They are a fifties high energy, rockabilly unique sound. His guitar sound is fantastic.
So then not long after that, I was at another local show. And if you can't guess, I'm a music geek.
I saw a band called Hurt and Skip, and a little different, more bluesy.
Mister Pruitt on the slide guitar is fantastic. Percussions are unique, and then Joe on the vocals are very soulful.
So they match. Well, a little bit of difference.
We know everybody will have a great time. I've seen the bands multiple times. They are fantastic.
[00:04:09] Speaker A: Okay, well, I'm definitely excited about it, and hopefully our listeners will look them up, if you don't already know of them, and you'll enjoy that type of music. So will there be food, beverages?
[00:04:25] Speaker B: We're going to set up a tent or all the information regarding the campaign, which is really what we're all about. I mean, we're so excited to be partnering with you. And it's not just a one time partnership. This is gonna be an ongoing effort. Right. So I cannot tell you how excited we all are to every day get out of bed and knowing what we're doing and what we're building and the impact we can have in the community just by doing what we do now, which is roast coffee.
[00:04:55] Speaker A: Right?
[00:04:55] Speaker B: Right.
So, yeah. Invite friends. We're inviting everybody we know.
[00:05:01] Speaker A: So and so the concert is free.
[00:05:05] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:05:06] Speaker A: So we do want sponsors. And so Scott Ri. We both have our sponsorship flyers that if anybody wants one, you can typically email me at philippe somethingsc.org, or you can stop by Cafe west and talk to Scott.
So, as we're looking at this, so we have two bands.
There's food and beverages, and it's a free concert.
[00:05:39] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:05:40] Speaker A: And we're all going to be there under the auspices or recognition of the power collective, which is a coalition of other nonprofit organizations who have come together to help prevent, educate, raise the awareness of the opioid issues within our community.
[00:06:11] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:06:14] Speaker A: The other organizations that are part of this, outside of. Just say something. We're the fiduciary, so we're the ones leading the fight is rise prevention.
Then we have Nami Greenville.
Then we have mental Health America, Greenville county, which is also our local 988 and statewide 988 crisis line gurus. And then we have unity Health on Maine. And all of these are nonprofit organizations who have come together again to fight this opioid epidemic in our community.
I would be willing to say that there's not anyone who doesn't know of either a friend or family member or co worker who has lost someone due to an overdose.
[00:07:14] Speaker B: Absolutely. I would agree. I mean, I'm reaching out to you. I mean, the music community, we all know what's going on in that, what goes on in that community. And both bands are aware, willing to help their support, they'll offer their time to the social media and the press that we have.
Our social media director, Kelly Ferguson, same thing. I mean, she heard she has four. Actually, she has six kids, so it affects everybody.
One of our business partners has three young children. The other business partner has one on the way. So it's not just for now. This is building something to help our community going forward.
[00:07:58] Speaker A: Right, right. And trust me, those of us on the nonprofit side are so appreciative in looking forward to not just this event, but other events that will follow.
And so as we look at this event coming up on the July 11 at Fire Forge Brewery, it's from six to nine. Do you need volunteers?
[00:08:22] Speaker B: I don't think so. I've cajoled as many people and friends as I can.
I've begged my employees.
It really, it does not take much to get people to join and support.
They'll be, we'll have coffee there available for purchase. We'd love for people to, as this is a mostly social media campaign, take pictures of bags, do the hashtagging. I'm not the technical expert. You ask anybody, but we'll have instructions or directions from the people that know what they're doing on how to help further the campaign in the community.
[00:09:02] Speaker A: Okay, so the campaign that we're talking about is the opportunity for people out there to purchase coffee?
[00:09:16] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:09:17] Speaker A: So tell us. It's sort of bigger than that.
[00:09:20] Speaker B: You can look at it that way, or you can look at it as a small donation to the campaign. And you're getting our locally roasted coffee. We've created ways for people to, if you enjoy the coffee, create a subscription so where you're getting it every month, because the same amount of proceeds continue to go to your organization, the opioid problem, as you've helped the rest of the state.
And then we'll have, if you don't, for the few of you that don't drink coffee, there will be, you can, you can donate.
All that stuff will be at a tent that we've set up to have all this kind of information where, hopefully, you and the rest of your board and the other organizations can meet the people, talk about what you do, because I know, because I've known you 20 years, how hard you work, how hard your staff does, all the things that are you guys do that are unseen by the public. And so now here's your chance to talk about it with the public and get them on board for really, it's a donation for you. And we're just supplying them some coffee.
[00:10:30] Speaker A: Well, it's a partnership that you and your business partners feel so passionate about, that you realize the issues that our community is facing because of opioids and that you're a local business trying to give back. And this is the way you all give back. So trust me, us little people that are out there doing the work, we're very, very grateful for you and Mike and Dustin, and then for the other people that you all put together to build a team to help support what we're. What you're going to be doing.
[00:11:19] Speaker B: The opportunity to impact your community and to be part of the solution is. I mean, I am not kidding, when you hop out of bed every day energized. And it's a fantastic feeling. I mean, I know everybody here is, if you love what you do, you're not really working.
There are days it's work, but I have never felt this excited about a project I've ever been a part of. And to know that it's not just a one time thing, but it is a sustained effort.
[00:11:53] Speaker A: It's continuing to give on a regular basis.
And for us small organizations, that is the biggest support that we could have is that continuous stream of income coming in, as opposed to grants that have certain things that you have to do to get this grant. And you got to do this. You got to do this, you got to do this.
One of the benefits of being a community based organization is we're not part of a system that we can change what we're doing on a dime to help benefit whoever's in front of us. And not everybody has that flexibility.
[00:12:37] Speaker B: The government does have a lot of rules.
[00:12:39] Speaker A: Yep, yep, yep. They do. So for you individuals or business people out there, there are sponsorship opportunities available for this. Again, our goal is to take this concert on the road.
We would love to take this to Columbia.
[00:12:59] Speaker B: We are working behind the scenes right now for Columbia and Charleston, and we.
[00:13:05] Speaker A: May, even may want to go to the PD area. So if you're a statewide business out there and you want to really get a big bang for your buck, let's talk. We do need the support of the businesses locally and statewide. And part of what we're doing is we raise this awareness through events like this and through partnerships like this with get coffeeforchange.com, which is going to be the website is we have 40,000 lockable prescription bottles that we are handing out. And just to give you a little bit point of reference, those 40,000 lockable prescription bottles will then in turn, keep 2.2 million pills from being pilfered, stolen in a year, and will have an economic impact for our state of just over $29 million.
[00:14:10] Speaker B: The numbers. The numbers are staggering.
[00:14:12] Speaker A: So what we're asking people to spend and donate for coffee is not even a fraction.
[00:14:21] Speaker B: They already spend it on coffee. I mean, the coffee market.
[00:14:24] Speaker A: That's true. That's true.
[00:14:25] Speaker B: Here's a chance to make a donation and get some coffee produced here in Greenville. And then if you like it, then you get to enjoy coffee and help a cause.
[00:14:36] Speaker A: All right, so is there one last tidbit that you would like to leave with our listeners as they look at their calendar for Thursday, July 11, from six to nine, with an asterisk? Fire forge brewery concert.
What do you want them to know?
[00:15:00] Speaker B: Just come out, have fun, enjoy. Please stop by and say hi to everybody. And dress appropriately. Cause it's summer in the south. It's gonna be hot.
[00:15:10] Speaker A: It's gonna be hot and humid.
[00:15:12] Speaker B: But, yeah, come take a shower afterwards.
[00:15:16] Speaker A: Yeah.
So.
[00:15:18] Speaker B: And the website for the coffee is getcoffeeforchange.com.
[00:15:24] Speaker A: And so go on there and look at it, check it out. Sign up to get notices about different opportunities and events that are going on. That, in turn, support what we're doing in the community to help raise the awareness and to prevent any more deaths in our community caused by the opioid crisis that we're experiencing now. So, Scott, I want to thank you for being here with us today. I want to thank you for all the hard work that you and Mike and your team have put together in bringing this all together. Because at the end of the day, the money that we raise through these efforts go back to support our local communities. And so with. Without that support from you and Mike, we wouldn't be able to do what we do. So, thank you.
[00:16:23] Speaker B: We're just happy to be part of it, really. It's our honor to be part of it.
[00:16:28] Speaker A: And so, if you want to see more about the concert, check out our social media. You can also go to our website that we have for the power collective, which is where we're doing our opioid prevention, education and awareness work. That's powercollective sc.com. you can call our office at 864-467-4099 and I hope to see you at the concert at Fire Forge Brewery on Thursday, July 11. Get there. And get. Get there early so you can get inside and get a seat.
But it's going to be a blast, and I hope to see you there. Scott, thanks again for your time. And I know we'll see each other again shortly.
[00:17:18] Speaker B: Yes, we do.
