There’s always something happening in the Hostess City. Stay in the know about upcoming events and the latest information with our periodic News & Notes.
Upcoming Events
Healthy Savannah Announces New Direction in Community Health Advocate Training on April 6
Who: Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia
When: Saturday, April 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Where: Vaden Automotive corporate office building | 12020 Abercorn St.
What: How do you reach out to people who are weary or wary of talking about vaccines with a message that helps build trust? That’s the challenge Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia plan to put to the test. The organizations are inviting community members interested in health equity to an in-person panel discussion and training event. The discussion will also be streamed live on Healthy Savannah’s Facebook page.
The event is made possible through funding from a five-year Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Sept. 2023 to Healthy Savannah and the YMCA as the local grant administrators.
Starting at 9:30 a.m., healthcare professionals who work with Savannah-area priority populations daily will lead a panel discussion on the realities of access, awareness, and acceptance of adult vaccines including COVID-19 and flu.
The panel is expected to include school nurse Cecilia Kurtz, a public health nurse with the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System and president of the nurses’ guild ministry with First Bryan Baptist Church, and other medical professionals who will speak about the disparity that exists for many adults with health conditions who also might have a level of mistrust of medical intervention or government oversight.
Following the panel session, Healthy Savannah and the “Y” will hold a 90-minute training session for those interested in becoming Community Health Advocates (CHAs). This will be the seventh cohort of the series but the first in-person training to be held since the program began in 2021. More than 70 members of the community have previously participated in six online training sessions.
To learn more or register for the April 6 panel discussion and/or apply for the Community Health Advocate training program, please email CHAadmin@healthysavannah.org.
Tharros Place to host fundraiser at Bar Julian
Proceeds will serve underage survivors of human trafficking
Who: Tharros Place
When: Tuesday, April 9 from 5–7 p.m.
Where: Bar Julian (Rooftop) 201 Port St.
What: Tharros Place, a local nonprofit serving underage survivors of human trafficking, will host a fundraiser at Bar Julian, with 20 percent of total sales going to benefit Tharros Place residents. Tharros Place will also be selling its exclusive Courage bracelets, and there will be a raffle offering gift cards and goods from local Savannah businesses. For more information or to donate, visit tharrosplace.com.
City to Host Ribbon Cutting for Renovated Forsyth Park Basketball Courts
Who: The City of Savannah’s Recreation and Leisure Services
When: April 12 at 2 p.m.
Where: Forsyth Park, South end
What: The reconstruction of one of Savannah’s most popular basketball courts was made possible by the City’s Recreation Re-Imagined initiative. The nearly $190,000 project completely refaced a decades old basketball court with new infrastructure, including backboards, rims, fencing, and a new playing surface.
The City of Savannah’s Sanitation Department and Keep Savannah Beautiful encourages residents and organizations to register for the Great Savannah Community Cleanup on Saturday, April 13 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Great Savannah Community Cleanup is a city-wide day of service where residents, businesses, and local community organizations come together to beautify and improve the city of Savannah by removing litter and debris from public areas.
Individuals and groups interested in participating are encouraged to register online at savannahga.gov/springcleanup by Friday, April 5. For those registered, the City will provide safety vests, gloves, and plastic bags, to support litter removal activities.
Students participating in the cleanup will be eligible to receive community service hours. In addition to the Great Savannah Spring Community Cleanup, residents and organizations are encouraged to explore the Adopt-A-Spot program, where they can adopt a street, park, or neighborhood to maintain throughout the year.
Georgia River Network and Ogeechee Riverkeeper present a new water trail on the Ogeechee River
The Ogeechee River Water Trail is now an established part of the Georgia Water Trails Network. This designation will encourage more recreation on the 207 miles of river recreation offered on the river, from flatwater paddling to class III paddle adventures.
Learn more about the Ogeechee River Water Trail and learn how you can safely plan river adventures using the Georgia River Guide app.
This article appears in Connect Savannah I April 2024.
