Current Areas of Service
Brainminders™
Brainminders™ focuses on traumatic brain injury and disorders and prevention education programs through a puppet show for senior citizens, and Brainminder™ Buddies, a puppet show presented to young children in the schools.
Helen Parrish Memorial Scholarship
Pilot Club sponsors a scholarship for an Oconee County student attending the Oconee campus of the University of North Georgia.
“Pick Me Up” Staff Appreciation
Pilot members show appreciation and provide “pick me up” gifts to staff at local hospitals, nursing homes and Memory Care facilities as well as to First Responder Units.
Oconee County cultural events
Pilot Club members volunteer at events at Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF) as well as other local community events.
Project Lifesaver
One of Pilot International’s service projects is our association with Project Lifesaver. Project Lifesaver is an organization that strives to provide timely response to save lives and reduce potential injury for adults and children who wander due to Alzheimer’s, autism and other related neurological conditions or disorders. Project Lifesaver’s mission and goals are closely aligned with Pilot’s missions and goals. Through the use of vital technology and trained emergency response teams, Project Lifesaver provides peace of mind for Family Caregivers.
Currently, 1,200 agencies in 45 states participate in the program: police, sheriff, fire, public safety departments and other emergency responders. The method relies on proven radio technology and specially trained search and rescue teams. Citizens enrolled in Project Lifesaver wear a small transmitter on their wrist or ankle that emits an individualized tracking signal. If an enrolled client goes missing, the caregiver notifies their local Project Lifesaver agency, and a trained emergency team responds to the wanderer’s area. Most who wander are found within a few miles from home, and search times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes. Recovery times for PLI clients average 30 minutes – 95% less time than standard operations.
If you are interested in applying for Project Lifesaver in Oconee County, please contact Captain Deanna Smith at the Oconee County Sheriff’s Department at 706-769-5665. She is in charge of the tracking equipment and keeps a picture record of the clients along with their tracking signal channel number. Applications must be completed by the family and the client’s doctor. Equipment and fees are provided FREE to clients by the Pilot Club of Oconee County.
Past Accomplishments
- Obtained a Special Education grant for Oconee County Schools
- Donated the piano at the Watkinsville Community Center
- Donation for playground equipment for children with special needs at Harris Shoals Park in Watkinsville
- Provided hundreds of bicycle helmets for Kindergarten children in Oconee County Schools
- Donation for computers and audio systems for Oconee County Schools
- Hosted Autism Seminars, Positive Behavior Workshops, and Parent Academies with Oconee County Schools
- Hosted several free community seminars relating to brain related disorders
- Obtained a CareTrac grant for emergency response unit in connection with Project Lifesaver in cooperation with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Department
- Proclamation each year honoring Brain Awareness Week with the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners
- Donated book bags with school supplies for disadvantaged children in Oconee County
- Raised and contributed funds to help Oconee County purchase their first Jaws of Life