(SAVANNAH, GA) Healthy Savannah, a public nonprofit organization aiming to make Savannah healthier by increasing opportunities for citizens to seek physical activity and consume nutritious and balanced diets, has announced that Margie Watson has joined the 501©3 local organization as its communications and Community Clinical Linkages manager.
Watson’s duties will include promoting and connecting healthy organizations in the community, spreading the word about Healthy Savannah and various resources available to underserved populations, working to develop and implement health strategies, and fostering a social media presence.
She will also manage the Community Clinical Linkages component of the five-year, $3.4 million Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant administered by Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia. The grant was awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2018 with funding deployed in an “upstream” approach by the Savannah/Chatham County project team to foster sustainable health equity among Black residents in low-wealth neighborhoods.
“We are pleased to welcome Margie to Healthy Savannah and the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health team,” said Paula Kreissler, executive director. “As a Savannah native, she has a wealth of life experience to share and she also brings a boxful of professional tools from her work with one of our partner organizations.”
Watson previously served with the Economic Opportunity Authority for Savannah-Chatham County, Inc. (EOA) as a project coordinator for the Foster Grandparent Program and the Relatives As Parents Program. In that position, she often worked alongside Healthy Savannah to promote and use the HERO Help Me database to provide resources and information to individuals enrolled in those programs. Now, Watson utilizes the database as one of the key components of the REACH program she currently manages.
“I am pleased with what Healthy Savannah stands for, creating a healthy environment in Savannah,” Watson said. “I was introduced to the organization in 2021 through the #Healthy Walks and have since learned so much more about how Healthy Savannah connects resources with opportunities for health equity. I plan to bring insight from the perspective of a Savannahian myself, that can be useful in our forward approaches, along with creative and innovative ideas that will help further Healthy Savannah’s goals.”
Watson graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in the fall of 2018 in Visual and Performing Arts from Savannah State University. Alongside EOA colleagues Debbie Walker and Jasmine Warren, she was awarded the Home Depot Foundation Grant for a community garden in 2021 that helped 20 families reduce household food insecurities. Her favorite pastime is learning how to create garments from old vintage clothes that she finds in her closet.
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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