(SAVANNAH, GA) Healthy Savannah is providing $2,200 in grant funding to support health equity education and awareness at two upcoming Savannah area events.
- #HealthyMe #HealthyUs is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 20 at True Light Church Savannah, 1010 East Duffy St. in Savannah.
- The 6th Annual Love & Soul Family Festival is planned for 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 3 at Tanger Outlets in Pooler.
The funding was specifically earmarked to be spent in the faith community, to provide resources for health screenings, COVID-19 and flu awareness activities and vaccine clinics presented in conjunction with faith-based activities and events in Black and Hispanic communities throughout the Savannah area.
The individual grants in the amounts of $1,200 (#HealthyMe) and $1000 (Love & Soul), were made available through a supplemental grant awarded in 2021 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to broaden initiatives of the five-year Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant awarded in 2018. Both grants are administered by Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia. The overall goal of the supplemental grant initiative is to focus on elevating COVID-19 and flu vaccine access, awareness, and acceptance, in certain low-wealth communities.
To date, program administrators have provided 20 mini-grants from $500-$2000 for similar faith-based events in the greater Savannah area, totaling $23,200. The mini-grant program is also administered in conjunction with Healthy Savannah’s Faith and Health Coalition, which has championed health equity programs in the local faith community since 2016.
The #healthyMe #HealthyUs is a free interactive workshop designed to promote health equity and empower our community to live well. The event will include prizes and giveaways as well as important information about what to do in the event of a COVID or flu diagnosis, plus glow germ kits and guided blood pressure checks.
The Love & Soul Family Festival is shaping up to be a full day of live entertainment, food trucks, community vendors, service providers, a kid zone hosted by the YMCA and more. Admission is free and open to the public.
“Both of these are festive and fun family events that allow us to find a most effective way to communicate social movements and community programs with the underserved populations we need to reach,” said Elsie Smalls, PhD, operations manager. “The organizers will use these mini-grants to support vaccinations, testing kits, associated health materials and supplies. Plus, Healthy Savannah will be there with giveaways and information about healthy walks and free and discounted fresh food programs we want everybody to know about.”
“This is a fun day that we use to provide families in the community with entertainment and information to improve their health and fitness activities,” said Pastor Matthew Gunn of the Love & Soul Family Experience. “We have also engaged organizations that are committed to supporting families, promoting unity in the community, and influencing others to make positive life choices for their family and community.”
“We are proud to partner with events such as these and others presented by the faith community in Savannah and Chatham County,” said Smalls. “We have seen how the organizers’ creative and innovative approaches in developing activities and projects that support COVID and flu education and awareness are helping to foster a healthier community.”
For more information about the Love & Soul Family Festival, visit www.theloveandsoulexperience.com, email info@theloveandsoulexperience.com or call 912-224-6084.
For more information about #HealthyMe #Healthy Us, contact True Light Church Savannah at truelight.1010@gmail.com or 912-234-1920 or visit online at www.therealtruelight.com.
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. In July 2022, Healthy Savannah received the CDC’s 2022 REACH Lark Galloway-Gilliam Award for Advancing Health Equity Challenge. The award recognizes extraordinary individuals and entities whose work has contributed to advancing health equity.
healthysavannah.org ymcaofcoastalga.org.
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