Healthy Savannah’s Ashley Rainge-Shields Joins Step Up Savannah’s Neighborhood Leadership Academy as Facilitator

25 emerging leaders begin training on September 12. An online public forum is scheduled for November 14 to discuss Environmental and Transportation Justice. (SAVANNAH, GA) Healthy Savannah is pleased to announce that Ashley Rainge-Shields, director of Fund Development and Communications, has been named as a facilitator at Step Up Savannah’s 14th annual Neighborhood Leadership Academy (NLA). The online training sessions begin September 12 and continue through November 28.

For the past 13 years, this free training program has provided an opportunity for established and emerging leaders from diverse segments of the community to learn problem solving, critical thinking, policy-making, and advocacy skills. More than 239 graduates, including several Healthy Savannah staff members, are now serving as community leaders and elected officials. “I have always been interested in grassroots community movements and organizing,” said Rainge-Shields. “I believe the community level is the essential first step in enacting the changes that will improve the world we live in. When I first came to Savannah in 2016, I saw the opportunity for change but had no idea where to start. When I learned about Step Up Savannah and the Neighborhood Leadership Academy, I knew that it would provide the tools I needed to learn to serve my community. NLA was amazing. I got to work with a diverse group of amazing people with the same goals and interests in social justice and equity. I learned so much and met wonderful people.” A graduate of the 2020 training program, Rainge-Shields will provide health equity training for the 25 participants, helping them develop community leadership skills aimed at positively impacting the underserved and unrepresented neighborhoods in the Savannah-Chatham community. Rainge-Shields will also help facilitate an online public forum on November 14. This free livestream class will focus on Environmental and Transportation Justice and is being offered to provide pertinent information as well as give the public a chance to see what the training sessions are like. This session is free and open to the public. For more information visit https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QF3jh1cQQgW_3v2O4uH3bg “Our incoming class really represents our whole community,” said Austin Rojas, community collaborative coordinator for Step Up Savannah. “This class will include people from nearly every zip code in Savannah. It also includes life-long residents and people who recently moved here, showing that no matter how much time you’ve spent in Savannah, people want to be involved. This class runs the spectrum of education-level too, from no GED to master’s degree holders. I’m really excited to see these people come together for their group projects and propose innovative solutions to problems old and new in Savannah.” “For the second year, we’re also offering the opportunity for young adults ages 21-35, who graduate from the NLA Program, to become trained mediators for free through the Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire,” said Alicia Johnson, executive director, Step Up Savannah. “We believe this expanded program being offered in partnership with the Mediation Center of Coastal Empire for the second year will be one more of a community-level solution to help reduce issues of exclusion young adults often encounter through joblessness, societal barriers, and the lack of skills training.” Step Up Savannah is one of 200 community partners collaborating with Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia on opportunities that collectively impact the framework of improving health equity in Savannah and Chatham County. Healthy Savannah and the Y are joint administrators of the five-year, $3.4 million Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant awarded in 2018 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to foster sustainable health equity among Black residents in low-wealth neighborhoods. ABOUT STEP UP SAVANNAH Step Up Savannah is an independent 501 © 3 non-profit organization. Since 2005, it has been serving low-to-middle income families and individuals in the Savannah/Chatham County area, promoting economic opportunity and financial security for all. Step Up Savannah believes that a beloved community is where all people have hope and opportunity, where we challenge injustice and where all members of step up together to create a more economically inclusive community. ABOUT THE YMCA OF COASTAL GEORGIA/HEALTHY SAVANNAH GRANT FOR RACIAL AND ETHNIC APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY HEALTH In September 2018, Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia were awarded a five-year, $3.4 million grant called Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health. Awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the funding is being deployed in an “upstream” approach by the Savannah/Chatham County project team to foster sustainable health equity among Black residents in low-wealth neighborhoods. The aim of the local project, called Healthy Opportunities Powering Equity, or HOPE, is to increase the availability of high-quality nutrition; promote physical activity through creating greater access to safe places to walk, run, bike and play; and foster stronger connections between people and the healthcare providers who serve them. Working with more than 200 community partners and organizations, the team is committed to elevating the health and wellness of the community through policy, systems, and environmental change. healthysavannah.org ymcaofcoastalga.org. MEDIA CONTACT Marjorie Young Carriage Trade Public Relations® Inc. 912.844.9990 www.carriagetradepr.com