A Suffolk woman with a passion for helping nonprofit organizations is hitting the ground running in her new role at the Western Tidewater Free Clinic.

Ashley Greene is the director of development at the clinic, charged with increasing awareness about the clinic and its services throughout the Western Tidewater area.

“It was a great opportunity here at the clinic with a great organization I have always thought quite a lot of,” Greene said last week. “It was exciting to think about joining that team.”

While Greene has volunteered at the clinic, her paying jobs in the last several years have been at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, the American Red Cross and her own marketing company, Breakthru Consulting. With the clinic now six years old and serving a large geographical area, she felt she could contribute her talents to helping more people become aware of the clinic.

“It’s a very large geographical area we serve,” Greene said. “There’s always more people who can know about the impact we have on those who can’t otherwise afford health care.”

From its location on Meade Parkway, the clinic serves residents of Suffolk, Franklin and Isle of Wight and Southampton counties between the ages of 19 and 64 with no medical insurance who live at or below twice the federal poverty level. Since it started seeing patients in June 2007, it has provided care to more than 3,000 patients, including medical and dental care, diagnostic tests, prescription medication and access to hospital services and specialists.

“That really makes a difference,” Greene said. “I’m really excited about this opportunity. I’m glad to still serve the community I live in.”

She added the clinic’s more than 200 volunteers help it accomplish helping so many people.

“Without our volunteer corps, the clinic could never do what we do,” she said. The volunteer corps here is incredible.”

Executive Director Miriam Beiler said Greene was a perfect fit for the position.

“She’s got lots of great energy, and she’s here for the underserved,” Beiler said.

To contact Greene at her new office, call 923-1060 ext. 7025 or email agreene@wtfreeclinic.org.