The Transportation Association of South Carolina presented the Piedmont Health Foundation and its Executive Director Katy Pugh Smith with the 2017 Award for Excellence in Community Outreach.

The award recognizes excellence in building community support for mobile infrastructure-related projects through participation in community affairs, grassroots relationships or marketing and promotion of the system, services, and more.

In making the award, TASC Executive Director Terecia Wilson noted the following:

• Over the last several years, Ms. Katy Smith, supported and aided by the Members of the Board of Directors of the Piedmont Health Foundation, worked tirelessly to complete an in-depth research project in Greenville County to assess the health of the local community; barriers to good health and active lifestyles; and opportunities to improve the health of the community.
• Through the study, there was extensive outreach to all segments of the local community to obtain their input and their concerns. The local response was overwhelming, due to the marketing and outreach efforts by Katy, the Board, and the staff of the Foundation. Much was learned and a series of recommendations/plan of action to move forward was created.
• One of the key findings of the study was the impact of affordable and accessible transportation services on public health. Many local residents were not able to go to doctor’s appointments, obtain needed medications, or purchase healthy foods due to lack of access to transportation.
• The study clearly demonstrated the linkages between transportation and wellness – long before federal authorities implemented the national “Riding to Wellness Initiative”.

At last year’s TASC conference, and again at our recent, statewide Transportation and Wellness Summit, Katy and the Piedmont Health Foundation’s presentation on their study demonstrated true excellence in community outreach, as the project methodology was explained and the key results identified.

“We are proud of this recognition and appreciative of the support of the Transportation Association of South Carolina,” said Katy Smith. “TASC unites the many people and organizations in our state that provide transportation services, ranging from transit systems to Councils on Aging to state universities. Because it is critical that we have a strong mobile infrastructure to serve the residents of South Carolina, the Piedmont Health Foundation believes our partnership with TASC is an important way we can improve health.”