COMMUNITY HEADLINES – FEBRUARY 7, 2022

SAVANNAH BLACK HERITAGE FESTIVAL

(SAVANNAH, GA) The 33rd Annual Savannah Black Heritage Festival will be held virtually from February 1 to February 22. The Savannah Black Heritage Festival is free to attend. The festival is a showcase of Black American art and culture, with workshops, lectures, exhibits, and activities devoted to a variety of topics. The theme of this year’s festival is Celebrating Culture, Celebrating Heritage, Celebrating You. Healthy Savannah Board Chair Lillian Grant-Baptiste will speak at the opening ceremony on February 1, and a low impact workout session and virtual health fair will be held on February 12. To view the full schedule and register for individual events, visit the Savannah Black Heritage Festival website and view the presentations each day on the Savannah Black Heritage Festival YouTube page.

CHATHAM CO. HEALTH DEPT RESUMES NORMAL OPERATIONS BY APPOINTMENT

(CHATHAM COUNTY, GA) Effective Monday, February 7, the Chatham County Health Department will resume normal operations, offering all routine public health services by appointment. Last month, the Health Department limited some services while coping with staffing shortages due to COVID-19 cases and exposures. The Midtown Clinic at 1602 Drayton Street was closed for routine public health services, and the main clinic on Eisenhower Drive offered a reduced number of services. For more information about public health services offered by the Chatham County Health Department, visit coastalhealthdistrict.org/chatham. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 912-356-2441.

FRIDA NEEDS A HOME

(COASTAL PET RESCUE) Frida is a sweet little sassy girl who’s eagerly awaiting her forever home. She takes the best care ever of her soft black fur and is especially fond of that fabulous white stache. She loves to run, play, and tumble with the foster siblings in her foster home and is always eager for a snuggle. She does well with other kitties and is not shy. She’ll be a wonderful addition to a lucky forever home.

INSTAGRAM NFTs, FACEBOOK RETAIL STORES, AND MORE

(SOCIAL MEDIA EXAMINER) Explore Facebook changes with Michael Stelzner and Mari Smith.

VELVET GALA

(SAVANNAH, GA) Seimitsu Supports Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution Annual Velvet Gala to Celebrate the Mediation Center’s 35th Anniversary. The event will be held at Soho South Events, on Thursday, February 10, 2022. Visit www.mediationsavannah.com for more information.

SEMINAR FEBRUARY 8: THE POWER OF POETRY IN A PANDEMIC

(SAVANNAH COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL) Savannah Country Day School’s 2nd Annual Faculty Explorations Speaker Series continues on February 8 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. with Jackie Smith’s seminar “The Power of Poetry in a Pandemic.” The weekly evening sessions provide attendees the opportunity to revisit a classroom setting and explore a topic based on the faculty host’s area of expertise. All seminars are free and open to the public. For additional information, or to register, visit savcds.org/facultyexplorations.

VALENTINE’S KICKOFF VACCINATION EVENT

(SAVANNAH, GA) What’s the perfect Valentine’s Day gift? The community health advocates at Healthy Savannah, YMCA of Coastal Georgia, Georgia Department of Health Coastal Health District, and JC Lewis Primary Health Care are hoping you’ll share the gift of health with those you love. A Valentine’s Kickoff Vaccination Event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 12 at JC Lewis Primary Health Care Center, 5 Mall Way in Savannah. Flu and COVID-19 testing and vaccines will be offered to eligible adults and children.

ENMARKET ARENA

(WTOC) A big day for the Hostess City! The Enmarket Arena officially opened its doors to the public for the first time. This is the largest public works project in Savannah’s history, making it “More Than an Arena.” Enjoy this special report from WTOC on the completion of the Enmarket Arena.

FREE CLASS: KNOWING & FINDING YOUR IDEAL CUSTOMER

(SAVANNAHGA.GOV) At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, February 8, Phillip Scroggin, owner of Sol Insights, covers the fundamentals of how to identify your ideal customer so you can lead your market and grow your business the smarter, less painful way. Space is limited and registration is required. Register here: https://savannahga.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMoc-igqTgrE9YTHjH4c8j4IwAnjhYM-I1x

EMAIL LIST GROWTH: A COSTLY TALE

(SOCIAL MEDIA EXAMINER) Are you trying to grow your email list? Wondering what not to do to get new subscribers? In this video, the CEO and founder of Social Media Examiner, Michael Stelzner, walks you through the mistakes we made in our quest to acquire more email newsletter subscribers. You’ll discover why we were looking to expand our list, what we experimented with, and the one big mistake that cost us thousands.

SAVANNAH’S COMMUNITY HEALTH ADVOCATE PROGRAM ANNOUNCES THE FIRST 10 GRADUATES

(SAVANNAH, GA) Members of the first graduating class of Savannah’s Community Advocate program share candid conversations about vaccine concerns and acceptance in Black and Hispanic communities. The program is administered by Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia, through a supplemental CDC grant. The program is intended to broaden the initiatives of the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant by increasing vaccine awareness and acceptance in communities at high risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19 or flu.

GEORGIA ARBOR DAY TREE PLANTING AT WORMSLOE STATE HISTORIC SITE

(Savannah, GA) The public is invited to help plant 30 new Live Oak trees on Wormsloe State Historic Site’s “Avenue of Oaks,” located at 7601 Skidaway Road. The event will start at noon on Saturday, February 19, 2022. A brief ceremony will precede the plantings near the brown fence by the Visitor’s Center. Holes will be dug in advance of the ceremony by SavATree, making it easier for volunteers to help plant the 12-foot-tall saplings. This event will happen rain or shine.

SAVANNAH PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERS AWARDS $30,000 GRANT TO LOOP IT UP SAVANNAH

(SAVANNAH GA) Savannah Philanthropic Partners, a giving circle founded in 2021 by four Savannah women, has awarded its inaugural grant of $30,000 to Loop It Up Savannah, a 501©(3) nonprofit that brings creative art experiences to children and families of Savannah.

SHE HUSTLES RETURNS ON FEBRUARY 24 AT THE FRONT PORCH IMPROV SAVANNAH

(January 31, 2021) – SHE HUSTLES returns in 2022 for a live, in-person event from The Creative Coast! The SHE HUSTLES community offers Savannah’s women entrepreneurs and leaders a chance to network, learn, and inspire. Several times per year, the Creative Coast hosts gatherings that bring the community together for a motivational evening highlighting women in the Coastal Georgia region. This winter’s event will take place on February 24, 2022, at the Front Porch Improv (210 W. Victory Drive in Savannah). The doors will open at 6 p.m. for networking over wine and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets can be purchased online only for $20 per person.

HEALTHY SAVANNAH AND YMCA of COASTAL GEORGIA TO DISTRIBUTE $10,000 IN VACCINE EDUCATION GRANT FUNDING TO CHURCHES

(SAVANNAH, GA) Healthy Savannah and YMCA of Coastal Georgia are seeking proposals and applications for funding from African American and Hispanic faith-based organizations, churches and other places of worship located in the priority population communities served by Healthy Savannah for events and activities that focus on COVID-19 and Flu education, awareness, acceptance, and vaccine access. Individual organizational grant amounts may range from $500 to $1500. The funds were provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to broaden the initiatives of the current Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant. For more information, email Dr. Elsie W. Smalls at elsie@healthysavannah.org, referencing “Faith and Health Funds Grant Application” in the subject line. Proposals are due on or before Friday, February 25 and approved plans must be implemented, and activities completed between March 1 and June 30, 2022.

LOVE YOUR TRAIL DAY

(HEALTHY SAVANNAH) On January 29, Alderman Nick Palumbo and members of the Healthy Savannah, Bike Walk Savannah, and Metropolitan Savannah Rotary teams met on Police Memorial Trail for Love Your Trail Day, an afternoon of trail cleaning, maintenance, and care. The completion of Police Memorial Trail joins Truman Linear Park Trail as the early phases of Tide to Town. Tide to Town, Savannah’s Urban Trail System, is a planned 30-mile protected network of walking and biking trails connecting all of Savannah’s neighborhoods. To learn more about Tide to Town and attend a future Love Your Trail Day, visit the Tide to Town Facebook page and the Healthy Savannah website.

FAITH AND HEALTH COALITION

(HEALTHY SAVANNAH) Are you a faith-based organization in Savannah/Chatham County interested in encouraging a culture of health among your members and the broader community?

Please join the Faith and Health Coalition at our next virtual meeting to discuss the importance of health within our community. Please email FaithAndHealth@healthysavannah.org for the meeting link. For more information visit the Faith and Health Coalition page on the Healthy Savannah website.

Meeting Dates:

March 30th @ 12pm

May 25th @ 12pm

July 27th @ 12pm

September 28th @ 12pm

November 30th @ 12pm

JIMMY BUFFET COMING TO ENMARKET ARENA

(ENMARKET ARENA) Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefers are bringing Life on the Flipside Redux Tour 2022 to Enmarket Arena in Savannah on Thursday, April 21. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 28 at 10 a.m. here: https://bit.ly/BuffettSAV22

COVID-19 TESTING RESUMES AT SAVANNAH CIVIC CENTER

(CHATHAM COUNTY, GA) Free COVID-19 testing by the Coastal Health District has resumed at the Savannah Civic Center. Testing operations at the location were temporarily suspended because of previously scheduled events in the arena. The Civic Center testing site is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., and the first and third Saturday of the month from 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

SRPI SAVE THE DATE: FEBRUARY 24-25

(SAVANNAH, GA) Savannah State University’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communication is host to the Southern Regional Press Institute (SRPI). The two-day conference features keynote speakers, multiple concurrent workshops, contests, and a job fair. Through its workshops and speakers, SRPI provides training for elementary, middle, high school, and college students with an interest in mass media. This year’s theme is THE NEW ORDER: The World of News and Communication Post Covid and George Floyd. For more information, please contact srpi@savannahstate.edu or call (912) 358-3378.

FINANCIAL FUNDAMENTALS FOR BUSINESS OWNERS

(RICHMOND HILL AND HINESVILLE, GA) The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC), a Public Service and Outreach unit of the University of Georgia, offers a NEW IN-PERSON class for small business owners on February 16 in Richmond Hill and March 2 in Hinesville from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The program content is designed to educate business owners on the importance of good financial data and how to use that financial data for both tactical and strategic decision making. Visit https://www.georgiasbdc.org/training/southern or call (912) 651-3200 for more information.