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
DHS and HOPE for Georgia Moms will sponsor “Bump & Beyond Maternal Health Fair” with Co-Host Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition
Who: Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) and HOPE for Georgia Moms
When: Saturday, March 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Savannah Technical College’s Eckberg Auditorium, 5717 White Bluff Rd.
What: The free event is especially for families with Medicaid/PeachCare for Kids® and those who may have questions about their health coverage. Information, giveaways, raffle prizes, and resources will be available from community partners.
Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) and HOPE for Georgia Moms will sponsor the “Bump & Beyond Maternal Health Fair” with local co-host Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition (CGIC) at the Savannah Technical College’s Eckberg Auditorium on Saturday, March 9, 2024, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The event and parking are free.
Expectant and recently-delivered mothers and their families should bring their Medicaid/PeachCare for Kids® paperwork with them to the event to get help with their eligibility checks. In addition, the fair is the perfect place for families to spend an afternoon taking advantage of free health services, fun activities, self-care and childcare samples, and giveaways, including:
- Free community-based services like mobile primary health care
- Important health information from experts on pregnancy and postpartum concerns
- Samples of products like diapers, wipes, and more
- Opportunities to connect with other parents to share experiences and advice
- Door prizes for maternity and newborn care and much more
In Georgia, approximately 56% of births are covered by Medicaid, and many mothers delivered their babies during the pandemic when annual eligibility checks were paused for three years. The fair is intended to help increase awareness about and provide help for families now that the federal government has required states to resume Medicaid/PeachCare for Kids® eligibility checks (a process called “redetermination”). These activities are an extension of DHS’ “Stay Informed. Stay Covered.” statewide public information campaign to engage and educate Medicaid/PeachCare for Kids® members about redetermination more broadly.
The Savannah “Bump & Beyond” event is the second of three maternal health fairs planned in Georgia. The first event will be held March 3 in Albany, and the final event will be held in North Georgia this spring.
The fairs are made possible through funding from HOPE for Georgia Moms, a Northeast Georgia Health System initiative funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). HOPE seeks to connect resources and be action-oriented so that all moms thrive in Georgia. The partnership with DHS is the latest example of the “Stay Covered” campaign’s dedication to emphasizing local solutions, local outreach, and local impact.
“We are excited to partner with DHS and Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition on Savannah’s ‘Bump & Beyond Maternal Health Fair’ because we know pregnant and postpartum women so rarely put themselves first when it comes to their health,” said Heidi Ehrenreich, Project Director for HOPE for Georgia Moms. “The Bump & Beyond event is an opportunity to lift up and encourage mothers who have Medicaid; to offer them support and resources so they can stay informed and stay in control of their health care coverage.”
DHS and HOPE are working with co-host Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition on the event. Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that is part of Georgia Family Connection Partnerships. CGIC serves as a convener at the regional, state, and national level to secure and provide technical assistance, best practices, and sustainability for the collective well-being of Chatham County.
“We’re thrilled to co-host this event to promote maternal health and share important information on Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids® redetermination,” said CGIC Executive Director Lizann Roberts. “There’s no time like the present to take charge of your family’s health, and we’ll have experts on-site to get you moving in the right direction.”
The fun, free event will offer dozens of vendors, services, and experts for the whole family.
Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home to host Storytime for children, adults at Live Oak Public Libraries
Who: Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home
When: Children’s Storytime, Saturday, March 9 from 11–11:30 a.m. | Adult Storytime: Monday, March 11 from 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Where: 514 East Henry St.
What: In conjunction with Live Oak Public Libraries, The Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the legacy of one of the South’s greatest writers, will host Flannery O’Connor Storytime, one for adults and one for children, in anticipation of Flannery O’Connor’s 99th birthday.
Children’s Storytime: The Strange Birds of Flannery O’Connor, A Life
Written by Amy Alznauer and illustrated by Ping Zhu
Read by Lee Griffith, Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home Museum Board Member
Adult Storytime: “Everything that Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor
Read by Chad Faries, Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home Museum Board Member
Red Shoe Society presents 3rd annual Golf Madness Marathon benefiting the Ronald McDonald House of the Coastal Empire
Who: The Red Shoe Society of the Coastal Empire
When: Monday, March 11
Where: Savannah Golf Club, 1661 E President St.
What: The Red Shoe Society of the Coastal Empire is thrilled to announce their 3rd Annual Golf Madness Marathon. All proceeds from the event will go towards supporting the invaluable services provided by Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire.
The Golf Madness Marathon is a thrilling day-long event where participants will aim to conquer an impressive 100 holes of golf. Multiple competitors will engage in friendly competition, challenging themselves to complete as many holes as possible within the day. Each competitor invites supporters to join them in making a difference by pledging donations on a per-hole basis. Supporters can contribute $1, $2, $3, $4, or $5 for each hole completed, with the ultimate goal of each golfer completing all 100 holes.
In addition to per-hole donations, supporters also have the option to make a one-time contribution of their choice to further support the cause. The funds raised during the Golf Madness Marathon will directly benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire, providing vital support to families with seriously ill or injured children.
To learn more about the event, support one of the golfers, or make a donation, please visit the official event page at Golf Madness 2024 (ejoinme.org).
Tharros Place to host Spring Human Trafficking Stakeholder Meeting
Katherine Breeden of Children’s Advocacy Centers of Georgia to speak
Who: Tharros Place
When: Wednesday, March 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Savannah Technical College Eckburg Auditorium, 5717 White Bluff Rd.
What: Tharros Place, a local nonprofit serving underage survivors of human trafficking, will host its Spring Human Trafficking Stakeholder Meeting. This event is free and open to the public and includes networking, lunch, and a presentation by Katherine Breeden of Children’s Advocacy Centers of Georgia. Those interested in learning more about human trafficking and collaborating to bring it to an end are encouraged to attend. The event is generously sponsored by Delta Air Lines with further support from the following community partners:
Coastal Children’s Advocacy Center
First City Pride Center
The Front Porch
Georgia Legal Services Program
Heads Up Guidance Services
United States Department of Justice
United Way 211
Katharine Breeden has worked for Children’s Advocacy Centers of Georgia (CACGA) since March of 2023. She currently is the East Regional Care Coordinator for the Commercial Sexual Exploitation Response (CSEC) Response Team, which includes the Savannah area and surrounding counties. She joined CACGA’s CSEC Response Team after spending six years in law enforcement in South Carolina. Before moving to Georgia, she was a Crimes Against Children Investigator for Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, with a focus on Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC), and was a member of the ICAC Taskforce for the state of South Carolina. She has always had a drive to serve her community, and although bringing abusers to justice was rewarding, she found that she wanted to be on the other side of “the process” and help children and their support systems heal and be successful in life, regardless of their past.
Register here. For more information, please contact Kate Templeton, Outreach Coordinator for Tharros Place, at kate@tharrosplace.com or (912) 665-0236.
Local Updates
Savannah VOICE Festival announces partnerships for spring initiatives in the community
The Savannah VOICE Festival (SVF) is partnering with other nonprofit organizations in Savannah to host community programs during the month of March. SVF will partner with Hospice Savannah to host “VOICES that Heal” on Monday, March 11 at their in-patient unit from 1–2p.m. During this event, Hospice Savannah’s music therapist, Taylor Kersey will lead the attendees through an Irish-themed “listening lab” along with award-winning composer and Milnes VOICE Program collaborator, David Friedman.
Then from 5:30–7 p.m. on March 11, SVF invites community partners to join them for “A Thought Exchange with David Friedman” at the Abraham Sheftall House located at 321 East York Street in Savannah. This mindfulness workshop, led by the famous composer himself, encourages attendees to be more aware of their surroundings with an out-of-the-box, new perspective and ways of thinking through issues of corporate creativity, productivity and the achievement of corporate and personal objectives.
Savannah VOICE Festival will once again partner with the local nonprofit Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) to host an Irish-themed installment of the now popular “Songs and Stories in the Squares,” which will take place at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 12 beginning at Forsyth Park Fountain, then Madison Square, ending in Lafayette. During this free event, HSF Education and Research Associate Kendall Graham will give a brief presentation about the history of each square on the tour while SVF artists sing a selection of music to get attendees in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit.
Maria Zouves, SVF’s co-founder and president explains, “Since our inception, Savannah VOICE Festival has enjoyed working with the community and its many other non-profits, adding our music to their wonderful initiatives. We love moving into the spring season with these lovely and meaningful events.”
Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society issues call for nominations for 2024 Night of Champions
Do you know a business that deserves recognition for hiring workers with different abilities? If so, here is your chance to recognize them.
The Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society (LDSS) is seeking nominations for its 15th annual Night of Champions on Friday, May 3 beginning at 6 p.m. at The Savannah Convention Center on Hutchinson Island. The multifaceted event includes recognition of some of the area’s outstanding employers of differently-abled people, and the public is invited to nominate businesses for this recognition.
Employee nominations may be completed online at ldssga.org/night-of-champions and will remain open until March 22nd.
Meanwhile, the LDSS would like to stress that this event is NOT an empty table event and is more than an awards ceremony. It is an undercover hiring opportunity that celebrates the unlimited potential in every one of us. Night of Champions is a showcase for what can happen when employers are open to the idea of including differently-abled people in their workforce. Besides hearing the success stories from the honored businesses, attendees will learn first-hand about the rewards resulting from inclusive hiring. They can also leave the event with contacts of potential employees.
“The Night of Champions is a wonderful opportunity for business owners and hiring decision makers to realize the unlimited value of having people with disabilities as accepted, belonging, and contributing members of their organization. It allows them to experience the real and lasting relationships that are created between people with special needs and their employers. As we like to say, they are NOT disabilities. They are DIFFERENT ABILITIES. And it is the differences that add cohesion and fortitude, and compassion, and joy (other options) to your team.” said Joe Marchese, president of LDSS.
The evening will include a recognition ceremony, a silent auction benefiting LDSS, and a cash bar. We’ll conclude the event with the closure of the silent auction and item pickup and the second annual Night of Champions Hiring Expo. Plan to stay for gourmet coffees and European desserts and to meet and mingle with past Champions and possibly even find your Future Champion!
“The success of Night of Champions is directly tied to local organizations that create opportunities for people to demonstrate their desire to work and make valued contributions to their community,” Marchese said. “These Champions are littered throughout our community including a local quick-service restaurant owner who’s had great success since hiring a person for each of his multiple locations as well as a local physician hiring a young man with special needs who is still exceeding exceptions ten years later! We hope the achievements of these champions in the workforce will inspire more local organizations to take up the mission to light the way.”
LDSS is seeking sponsors to support Night of Champions as it raises money to sustain the programs it offers throughout the year, including Camp Buddy for children with Down syndrome, its annual Buddy Walk in Forsyth Park, and its monthly support meetings for the families and friends of individuals with Down syndrome.
To become a Night of Champions sponsor, donate an item for the silent auction, or reserve tickets, visit nightofchampions.org. Individual tickets are $100 and tables of ten can be reserved for $1,000. If you’d like to sponsor a past Champion and other guests, two additional tickets can be purchased at the time of reservation. If you’d like a past Champion to sit with you at your table, please let us know. For additional information, email info@ldssga.org.
Cobia Clarke Nursery unveils new mega site location on Abercorn
Cobia Clarke Nursery celebrated the grand opening of its new location on Abercorn with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 1.
Located at 15015 Abercorn, the nursery’s expansive 10.85-acre mega site, offers an extensive selection of shrubs, trees, plants and landscaping supplies. With a seasoned staff possessing a wealth of planting and horticulture knowledge, customers can anticipate personalized service and expert guidance for their landscape needs.
Owner Mike Neal, also the owner of Neal Landscape & Irrigation Co. since 2014, established the nursery in Pooler in 2018. Following the recent acquisition of Cobia Clarke’s former land for a warehouse, the nursery has relocated to its expanded location.
During the ceremony, Neal presented a Green Gala sponsorship to the Savannah Tree Foundation. “We look forward to enhancing Savannah’s green spaces and serving our community’s landscape needs,” said Neal. “We are dedicated to ensuring the sustainability of our beautiful city, which we proudly call home,” he added.
Cobia Clarke Nursery caters to a wide range of clients, from homeowners seeking to enhance their yards to contractors with landscape operations and companies involved in the installation of large multi-phase projects.
St. Joseph’s/Candler opens new campus in Richmond Hill
St. Joseph’s/Candler has opened the first phase of a new Richmond Hill Campus, expanding important healthcare options and access to a fast-growing community in south Bryan County.
The campus is located in the rapidly-developing Heartwood at Richmond Hill, a mixed-use community on Belfast Keller Road.
“This is only the beginning,” said Paul P. Hinchey, President & CEO of St. Joseph’s/Candler. “This represents the first step of expanding healthcare access to Richmond Hill and Bryan County. The campus will grow as the needs of the community grow and we are excited to be a part of the Heartwood community. Residents and nearby employers can now have peace of mind knowing that exceptional healthcare is in their own backyard.”
The opening of the Richmond Hill Campus represents another component of St. Joseph’s/Candler’s ongoing plan to improve and expand healthcare access across the region, closer to where people live and work.
The St. Joseph’s/Candler Richmond Hill Campus at Heartwood is located at 3866 Belfast Keller Road.
Initial healthcare services available at the St. Joseph’s/Candler Richmond Hill Campus at Heartwood include:
Urgent Care
Primary Care
Specialty providers:
Cardiology
Neurology
Podiatry
OB/GYN (later this year)
Bē Health & Well-Being, a health and wellness initiative of St. Joseph’s/Candler that has been enhanced to impact the long-term health and well-being of residents. This includes massage therapy.
Additional offerings, including lab, expanded specialty offerings and health and wellness services, will be available at this location in the coming months.
St. Joseph’s/Candler purchased 27 acres from Heartwood developer Raydient across the street from The Outfitters at Heartwood. This property will allow SJ/C to grow with the health care needs of both Heartwood and south Bryan County.The first stage of the campus is 15,000 square feet with an estimated cost of about $15.5 million. The master plan includes building up to 5 buildings total over the next 10-20 years.
As the community grows, St. Joseph’s/Candler will determine a timeline of what services are needed and then build out the property as the Heartwood population expands. We have planned on being able to provide up to 225,000 square feet of medical office space with 960 parking spaces.
National early language and literacy expert trains Savannah educators and leaders on critical literacy skills for young learners
Learning early language skills helps children make social and emotional connections and affects their ability to communicate, engage socially and regulate emotions.
Developing this skill in young learners is one of the Savannah area’s biggest challenges, according to the Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition (CGIC), a Savannah area collaboration of resource agencies that address overall health and well-being while leveraging resource initiatives. The Coalition has determined that the community must seek opportunities to work alongside the school system in improving early language skill development to foster more positive life skills.
On Jan. 11, the CGCI hosted 84 local leaders and educators who work with Savannah area Pre-K and Kindergarten-aged children for a training session with national early language and literacy expert, Emily Rubin.
Presented by Coastal Georgia Indicators Collation, United Way of the Coastal Empire and the Savannah Chatham County Public School System, the all-day event held at the Southwest Branch of Live Oak Public Libraries provided a tool kit for educators to help to identify early indicators of language and how to interact with children to help with their communications.
“I’m passionate about the relationship between engagement and language development. Did you know that when you’re interacting with children, you are producing this awesome chemical called oxytocin? When you produce it, it actually triggers oxytocin in the child. This is an incredible hormone that breaks through the blood-brain barrier and gets children to grow their brains and develop their language. It’s one of the reasons why it’s so exhausting interacting with children because we’re doing all that – but boy, did we know that we are brain architects!” Rubin said.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the first three years of life, when the brain is developing and maturing, are the most intensive period for acquiring speech and language skills. The NIH says these skills develop best in a world that is rich with sounds, sights, and consistent exposure to the speech and language of others.
“This training opportunity gave us the platform we need to engage a wider audience within the community,” said CGIC Executive Director Lizann Roberts. “It shines a light on the importance of language skills in a child’s overall development while also providing educators with the tools they need to help young learners who may be struggling with language development.”
Big Green wraps up half-million dollar investment in Georgia school gardens with a total of 40 new learning gardens, $100k in grants for Savannah Chatham County schools and early childhood learning centers
Big Green proudly announces their investment of over $350,000 to boost garden initiatives in 50 schools in Savannah. This collaboration with SCCPSS, local Early Childcare centers and Loop It Up Savannah aims to expand grant opportunities and support farm-to-school and school garden projects across Savannah.
Central to this partnership is Big Green’s school garden grant program. The grant empowers ten Early Childhood centers in addition to the 40 SCCPSS schools that have received gardens and/or grants. Each Learning Garden kit includes raised garden beds, soil, seeds, and an efficient irrigation system, coupled with a $2,000 grant, to kickstart or rejuvenate their garden programs.
“We are excited about the impact Big Green’s Jumpstart program will have in our schools,” said Bernadette Ball-Oliver, Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning for SCCPSS. “We know that Learning Gardens provide opportunities for students to learn skills in all disciplines and that the gardens will promote healthy eating, as well as how to grow food for our school families and staff. Planting, learning, growing, harvesting – what a difference-maker this will be for our students.”
To support successful implementation of the Jumpstart grants and Learning Garden kits, Loop It Up was awarded a $40,000 grant from Big Green to serve as a partnership liaison – helping new gardens get up and running, supporting existing gardens, identifying prospective schools and more.
“Communities throughout Savannah and Chatham County have a long and collaborative history of school and community gardening,” Lieberman said. “Loop It Up, along with other local agencies, such as the Savannah Urban Garden Alliance, have been proud to partner with SCCPSS on school gardening initiatives for many years. We are looking forward to both deepening and broadening integration of school gardens into ongoing the educational experiences of our students with Big Green’s partnership and support.”
Through this initiative, Big Green has been able to partner with local nonprofit Loop It Up and SCCPSS to expand existing school garden efforts. “Last year we began this collaboration with 16 new gardens and 1 grant and now, to be able to have 30 gardens and 10 additional grants in SCCPSS plus the 10 early childhood centers all growing together really sets the stage for young people to have the experiences of growing their own food from their first school experiences all the way through high school. We can’t wait to see how these resources become a part of the food culture in Savannah and Chatham county” says Sam Koentopp Director of Programs at Big Green. Big Green’s support includes networking opportunities, professional development avenues, and access to Big Green’s expansive online school garden resources.
Furthermore, an essential aspect of this initiative is the upcoming Kick Off workshop, scheduled for March 2, 2024. At this event educators will build a garden together at Woodville Tompkins and at West Broad Street YMCA. Together, educators will gain hands-on experience building and teaching in a Learning Garden empowering them to lead their own garden kick off activities at their own schools. Watch the recap of the first Kick Off event held in Savannah.
The gardens, grants, and programming were made possible by generous contributions from The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.
To support this work further in Savannah, visit biggreen.org/donate. Let’s grow together!
This article appears in Connect Savannah I March 2024.
