Staff Member Spotlight: Olive Younts

Alongside our amazing volunteers across the country, End Overdose is made up of a small staff team that makes the big things you see at events and in the community happen. We want to give credit where it’s due to our team, so we’re excited to continue our staff member spotlight with our Chapter & Operations Coordinator: Olive Younts!

Olive joined End Overdose's Atlanta chapter in 2024, quickly became the chapter president, and has since been an absolutely integral part of our team. Moving from the Atlanta chapter to our HQ staff, she now leads the charge on working with End Overdose's 68 chapters nationwide. We're extremely grateful for Olive and her tireless efforts, so read about her story below and join us in congratulating her!

Can you tell me about your personal story? What inspired you to join the End Overdose team?

I noticed a shift in the nightlife community, more overdoses became apparent, and as I worked in crowd management and community safety, I sought out resources to help. I was shocked to find that our venue had no access to naloxone, and the staff working the venue was never prepared to respond to overdoses, nor did they know a solution existed. When I found End Overdose, I knew I could help bring change in this industry. I switched gears, started doing meaningful volunteer work in my local Atlanta community, and held a chapter leadership position. Every day, what kept me going was seeing that I was making a change in my community, so when a position within the organization became available, I knew I had more work to get done.

How has your role grown and evolved from being a chapter member to our Chapter & Operations Coordinator?

In our Atlanta chapter program, I put all my efforts there. I focused and dedicated myself to my volunteer chapter work, rapidly expanding the program. As the Chapter & Operations coordinator, that same drive for expansion and development never stopped. Now, I can reach all our programs and share my background of countless volunteer hours with the other chapter teams. I share my volunteer experience to inspire our chapter teams to know that anything is possible, despite highs and lows, we can create an impact.

What lessons have you learned while working with End Overdose's chapter program?

I knew each chapter program was different at the start of work, but I did not have the scope for all the elements that may affect the chapter's progress. Each team may have drastically different needs from the other, depending on which area they operate. This means that issues like stigma, reach, or even branding can affect a chapter's success. Despite not having experience in a chapter's unique environment, I've made it a point to listen to the leadership in each location to understand what resources and communication strategies can help individual communities.

What’re your favorite memories of working at End Overdose?

If I had to choose one favorite memory (despite there being a million), I would highlight my very first camping festival with End Overdose, at Force Fields in Wisconsin! We flew out last minute to ensure naloxone would be distributed on the festival site. The festival allowed us to stay in provided campers with our volunteer team! This was the first time I met some of our amazing national volunteer team members outside Atlanta, and it was an incredible experience. I realized what this work truly means, and how happy I was to be there! We trained hundreds of attendees and distributed a lot of naloxone! I even got to see Rezz and Marshmello after shift!

What do you see for the future of End Overdose?

For End Overdose, I see a future of national reach, programs in hundreds of high schools, universities, and area locations, and bringing training to every community! I hope that one day, we can reach enough people with End Overdose that overdose prevention and response will become common knowledge -- no one else has to die!