Kaine Hosts Citizen Day Service Project In Grundy, Participates In Project Revive Training In Lebanon

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine continued his four-day visit to Southwest Virginia, hosting a Citizen Day service project and participating in a training session for Project REVIVE.

In Grundy this morning, Kaine and members of his staff joined People Incorporated to weatherize the mobile home of an elderly, disabled resident. People Incorporated is a non-profit organization that has served families in Southwest Virginia for 50 years. Citizen Days are opportunities for Kaine to share his passion for public service by bringing Virginians together to participate in service projects across the Commonwealth.

"Through Citizen Days I like to shine a light on groups like People Incorporated that do such good work," said Kaine. "These projects can drop someone's utility bill by 20 or 30% per month, which makes a big difference in people's lives."

In the afternoon, Kaine traveled to Lebanon to participate in a training session for Project REVIVE, a program designed to reduce deaths due to drug overdoses by teaching individuals how to administer naloxone, a medication that counters the effects of an opioid overdose for a short period of time. Kaine, along with 11 members of the Virginia congressional delegation, has called on Governor Terry McAuliffe to establish a statewide task force to address the rapid spread of heroin use across the Commonwealth and the devastating impact it is having on Virginia communities.  

"I came here to get trained today because opioid abuse is a national epidemic that has become a big problem in Virginia and has hit Southwest Virginia particularly hard," said Kaine. "There won't be one simple solution to this widespread problem, but this revolutionary medicine is an important tool that will save a lot of lives." 

This evening, Kaine will attend the Thursday Jams Concert at the Abingdon Farmers Market Pavilion. Kaine will complete his four-day tour of Southwest Virginia tomorrow with a tour of Bristol Compressors. In a recent floor speech calling for the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, Kaine highlighted the work of Bristol Compressors and described the vital role the bank plays in helping the company create jobs in the Southwest region.

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