PAF Safety Coordinator Spotlight: Olivia Brown
Creating a culture of safety starts with education, empowerment, and the confidence to speak up. “We want our youth to know how to be safe, how to help someone in an emergency, and we want to build confidence in each person that says, ‘I am going to speak up when something isn’t safe.’ What an honor it is to be part of that change.”
For Olivia Brown, witnessing the excitement and impact of a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day was the spark that led her to get more involved. Olivia, who works in grants management for the Sentara RMH Foundation, saw firsthand the value of PAF Safety Days and wanted to contribute to the mission.
Olivia began serving as a volunteer PAF Safety Day Coordinator and coordinated her first Safety Day in March 2024. Embarking on her second year, Olivia says, “I do this because I personally know families that have been affected by incidents that could have been avoided had there been more safety protocols in place.” The Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, Virginia communities are surrounded by farms and rural areas, making safety education even more essential. Olivia believes this is a perfect opportunity to reach youth who might not otherwise have the chance to learn how to stay safe, protect themselves, and protect others.
The Harrisonburg, Rockingham community gives back and truly supports the mission of the PAF Safety Day program. Olivia believes the program is important to her community after several very tragic farming incidents spurred the community to come together and decide there was a need to put more safety measures in place. Olivia says, “Safety doesn’t just affect a specific population or geographic area. Events that compromise someone’s safety can happen anywhere at any time. If at least one person leaves our safety day having learned something that can help keep them or someone else safe, then I’d say that's success and that's what makes working with PAF so much fun.”
Olivia values that this work brings people together, stating that the program can be done anywhere, everyone is welcome, and it addresses safety education for the next generation.
When asked if Olivia would recommend the PAF Safety Day program to others, her answer was, “I would say ‘DO IT!’ It has been an exciting and rewarding experience for myself as well as for our community. PAF is easy to work with and offers great technical support. They make hosting a safety event fun and convenient. If you think there are people in your community that would benefit from attending a safety event and if you think safety education in your community would reduce the risks of safety-related accidents, then what are you waiting for? Do it!”
Thank you, Olivia, for your dedication to making safety a priority and for helping to create a lasting impact in your community!