(SAVANNAH, GA) Four local stores have joined the HealthMPowers campaign, a project of REACH Savannah-Chatham County, to make healthy food choices available in small retail stores that are often the closest — or only — stores that sell food in low-wealth neighborhoods.

The project is supported by the YMCA of Coastal Georgia and Healthy Savannah through grant funding awarded through the Center for Disease Control’s REACH program to help close the gap in health disparities among African Americans in Savannah and Chatham County.

HealthMPowers works with store owners to encourage and support them in stocking healthier options to go along with such mainstays as soda and chips.

“HealthMPowers is an organization that oversees the Corner Store Initiative,” said Deidre Grim, nutrition program manager for REACH Savannah-Chatham County. “Through the REACH grant, HealthMPowers provides technical assistance and support to corner stores in low-wealth communities to encourage them to provide fresh produce in their stores.”

Targeted neighborhoods include those where many residents lack transportation to more distant grocery options. Services include surveys of patrons to see how receptive they would be, what they would buy if more options were available and whether it would be seen as beneficial.

“The pandemic shutdown has really driven home the importance of access to good food. Even affluent citizens struggled with how to get fresh groceries into their homes during the height of the crisis, so you can imagine how difficult it was for those in lower-wealth communities,” Grim said. “By working directly with the ground-level stores that are such an important part of these communities, we can help build strong supply chains that will make healthy food readily available, even in times of tumult. HealthMPowers can be a significant player in helping communities weather another emergency, whether it’s a global pandemic or just the everyday struggle of feeding a family.”

The organization provides signage and literature and serves as a go-between for the store and the USDA to the extent of doing regularly scheduled taste testings.

Participating stores are:
A-1 Food Corner (formerly named El Cheapo), 902 Pennsylvania Ave., Savannah;
Alive Mini Market, 707 Harmon St., Savannah (temporarily closed due to COVID-19 shutdowns);
Niti Food Mart, 1212 U.S. Highway 80, Garden City; and
Zack’s Quick Stop, 2701 Ogeechee Road, Savannah.

For more information, visit online at https://ymcaofcoastalga.org/reachsavannah or https://healthysavannah.org/about/reach-savannah-chatham-county/

ABOUT REACH SAVANNAH:
In September of 2018, The YMCA of Coastal Georgia and Healthy Savannah were awarded a five-year, $3.4 million dollar Racial and Ethnic Approach to Community Health (REACH) grant from the Center for Disease Control. Through this funding, the Savannah / Chatham County REACH team works to close the gaps in health disparities among priority populations in Savannah and Chatham County in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, and community – clinical linkages. The local project is called HOPE, Healthy Opportunities Powering Equity. Working with over 20 community partners and organizations, the REACH team works to provide equal and consistent access to ensure the health and wellness of our community through policy, systems, and environmental change. www.ymcaofcoastalga.org www.healthysavannah.org

Zack’s Quick Stop, 2701 Ogeechee Road, is one of four local stores participating in the REACH Savannah-Chatham HealthMPowers campaign.

The Alive & Sho’Nuff Deli at 707 Harmon St. is currently closed due to COVID, but the staff hopes to be able to welcome customers again soon. (Pictured L-R in the Alive & Sho’Nuff Deli before the pandemic: Deidre Grim, REACH Grant; Joyce Griggs, owner, Alive and Sho’Nuff Deli; and Danielle Scudder, HealthMPowers)

MEDIA CONTACT
Marjorie Young
Carriage Trade Public Relations® Inc.
912.844.9990
www.carriagetradepr.com
marjorie@carriagetradepr.com

(SAVANNAH, GA) Center Parc Credit Union is expanding to the Savannah area. A division of APCU, the oldest credit union in the State of Georgia, Center Parc plans to open two Chatham County locations in September at the Pooler Walmart, 160 Pooler Parkway, and the Savannah Walmart, 6000 Ogeechee Road. Center Parc is also planning to open a free-standing flagship branch in the spring of 2021.

“Center Parc’s parent company, APCU, has a familiar history in middle and north Georgia, and we’re now excited to bring our services to the Coastal Empire,” said Chuck Head, CEO. “Everything we do is for the benefit of our members and future members. We want prospective members to invite us to have a seat at their kitchen table, where families make decisions about their finances.”

Established by a post office employee to help improve the financial well-being of postal workers in Georgia, APCU (Atlanta Postal Credit Union) was chartered in 1925 as a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative, built on the premise that working people need a safe and sound place to save and borrow money. It now serves more than 100,000 members nationwide. In the new Savannah area Center Parc branches, membership will be open to anyone who works or lives in Chatham, Effingham and Bryan counties, and any U.S. Postal Service employee as well to the family members of anyone in these groups, no matter where they reside.

“The Center Parc division of APCU will provide the same products and services as APCU, with a community-focused outreach to help even more members grow and prosper,” Head added. “Our hope is that prospective members will get to know Center Parc as a trusted advisor to help them navigate their finances.”

Head explained that the Center Parc brand is aligned with the idea of “parks” and “town centers” being a place where members of a community gather to have fun and enjoy each other’s company. The unique spelling of the name is intended to reflect the company’s respect for its postal roots with the word “parcel.” The new brand is focused on community engagement and participation to attract a diversity of members from each community.

ABOUT CENTER PARC CREDIT UNION
Center Parc Credit Union is a division of APCU, the oldest credit union in the state of Georgia. In September 2020 two new Center Parc Credit Union locations will open in the Savannah area: at the Pooler Walmart, 160 Pooler Parkway, and the Savannah Walmart, 6000 Ogeechee Road. The company is also planning to open a free-standing flagship branch in Savannah in the spring of 2021 and will launch an exciting community gardens program this year. The member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative is committed to helping hardworking people save money and prosper. Each member’s funds are insured for up to $250,000 by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). For more information, call 800-849-8431, email info@centerparc.org or visit online at www.centerparc.org. #MembersFlourish

(SAVANNAH, GA) Ted J. Kleisner, retired CEO and active community leader, has been elected 2020-21 president of the Rotary Club of Savannah. On June 29, the Rotary gavel will be passed on to Kleisner from outgoing president, Ellen B. Bolch, President and CEO of THA Group.

A third-generation hotelier, Kleisner originally came to Savannah in 1973 as general manager of the DeSoto Hilton and that year became an active member of the Rotary Club of Savannah. He is a former member of Rotary organizations in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, and Hershey, Pennsylvania.

“I am honored that Rotary Savannah has entrusted me with the leadership of the organization,” Kleisner said. “I look forward to continuing our mission to promote peace, fight disease, support health and education initiatives, and to grow our local economy.”

Kleisner is the immediate past chairman of the board of trustees of the Telfair Museums, president of the Savannah Classical Academy Foundation and a member of the board of directors of the Savannah Music Festival, Inc. Appointed by the Mayor and City Council of Savannah, he currently serves as a commissioner on the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport Commission and as a member of the Downtown Savannah Authority board.
The Chicago native retired as chairman of the board, president & CEO of Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company and as president of CSX Hotels, Inc., CEO of The Greenbrier Resort & Club Management Company and The Greenbrier Sporting Club Development Company, Inc. He is a graduate of the University of Denver’s College of Business.

Kleisner and his wife of 48 years, Karen, reside in Savannah’s Historic Landmark District. They have two grown children: Kerry (Cornell ‘94) and Colonel Teddy (USMA, West Point ’97; and five grandchildren.

ABOUT THE ROTARY CLUB OF SAVANNAH

The Rotary Club of Savannah includes 205 community leaders and volunteers. Over the past 104 years, the club has championed local and regional developments that include completing the road to Tybee Island, improving the Savannah River for commercial traffic, enhancing the Dixie Highway system in southeast Georgia and building bridges over the Savannah and Altamaha Rivers. Most recently, in recognition of its 100th anniversary, the club raised funds and built an all-accessible playground in Forsyth Park. Meetings are held each Monday from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the DeSoto Hotel, 15 E. Liberty St. For more information, visit www.savrotary.org

CONTACT
Rotary Club of Savannah
P.O. Box 11105
Savannah, GA 31412
Phone: 912-272-9711

MEDIA CONTACT
Marjorie Young
Carriage Trade Public Relations® Inc.
912.844.9990
http://www.carriagetradepr.com
marjorie@carriagetradepr.com

(PORT WENTWORTH, GA) The newest Enmarket store opened June 8 in Port Wentworth. It is the first fueling station to bring compressed natural gas (CNG) supplied by Atlanta Gas Light to the Savannah public and provides a wide range of services aimed at truck traffic serving the Port of Savannah as well as the general public. The new store at 7002 Highway 21, at Exit 109 off Interstate 95, also offers Enmarket’s second Fuzzy Taco Shop, a fast-casual Mexican restaurant.

The store becomes the 126th in Enmarket’s growing chain of convenience stores and travel centers in Georgia and the Carolinas.

“CNG is an increasingly important fuel, especially for heavy trucks, and we are delighted to bring the fast-fill version of it to the motoring public in Savannah,” said Brett Giesick, president of Enmarket. “CNG is a clean, efficient product and making it available is in keeping with our goals to serve the public and protect the environment.”

According to Southern Company Gas subsidiary Atlanta Gas Light, CNG reduces emissions up to 90 percent when compared to gasoline and diesel vehicles. The new station will be able to fuel all classes of CNG vehicles, including Class 8 trucks (18-wheelers).

“We are proud to partner with Enmarket and help expand the state’s CNG infrastructure,” said Bryan Batson, president of Atlanta Gas Light. “This new station is also making it possible for local area fleets to deploy CNG vehicles to help meet their sustainability goals.”

The new store supplies a wide array of fuel types, including an electric vehicle charging station, auto and truck diesel, DEF, and ethanol free blu, in addition to CNG.

CNG is still developing in the public markets. Early investors in CNG vehicles were often commercial fleets, and the investing companies tended to have dedicated fueling stations of their own. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are more than 175,000 CNG-powered vehicles in the United States, and 23 million worldwide.

According to the Department of Energy’s alternative fuel website, 23 Georgia cities have public CNG vendors, with 26 sites among them. Atlanta is the only city in the state with a large number of stations, while Augusta has two and Columbus has one. The stations tend to cluster around Interstate accesses.

Atlanta Gas Light adds the location of the new station off Exit 109 provides value to CNG vehicles traveling I-95 between Florida and the Carolinas. The company has been building and maintaining CNG fueling sites for fleet customers in Georgia since the early 1990s.

The 5,814-square-foot store is a new build. The adjoining Fuzzy’s Taco is 3,960 square feet. The fast casual restaurant features a full bar as well as outdoor seating.

“We’re excited to add a second Fuzzy’s location to the low country area,” added Giesick. “Based on the customer reception at our Hardeeville location, we are confident that customers who have yet to experience Fuzzy’s Taco Shop will be happy that there is now one a little closer to Savannah.”

The first Fuzzy’s Taco Shop opened in Fort Worth, Texas back in 2003 and there are now more than 140 of them scattered across the country.

Customers can expect the same wide array of services as familiar at most Enmarkets, including freshly prepared sandwiches, salads, breakfast biscuits and more- all made on site. The store will be the third Enmarket location to offer Mooz frozen yogurt. Overflow parking for diesel trucks and a backup generator will also be included in the site.

For more information about natural gas vehicles visit https://www.atlantagaslight.com/business/natural-gas-vehicles.html.

ABOUT ENMARKET
Enmarket, Savannah’s largest convenience store chain, employs more than 1,400 people and operates 126 convenience stores, 14 quick-serve restaurants and two fast casual restaurants as the 49th largest convenience store operator in the country. Founded as Interstate Stations by Robert Demere in 1963, the retailer operates convenience stores in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina and was noted as the industry’s “Biggest Mover” in store count ranking by Convenience Store News in 2018. The company is committed to giving back to the community through many charitable contributions and volunteer efforts, offering fresh food, healthy snacks, and competitively priced quality fuel as part of its mission to enrich life. www.enmarket.com

ABOUT ATLANTA GAS LIGHT
Atlanta Gas Light is one of four natural gas distribution companies of Southern Company Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO). Atlanta Gas Light provides natural gas delivery service to more than 1.6 million customers in Georgia. In operation since 1856, the company is one of the oldest corporations in the state. For more information, visit atlantagaslight.com.

CONTACT
Matt Clements
Vice President of Marketing
Enmarket
MClements@enmarket.com

MEDIA CONTACT
Marjorie Young
Carriage Trade Public Relations®
912.844.9990
www.carriagetradepr.com
marjorie@carriagetradepr.com

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