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Healthy Savannah and YMCA announce breastfeeding events and public education efforts
National Breastfeeding Month is to be observed during August
In celebration of National Breastfeeding Month in August, Healthy Savannah and partner organizations are supporting several events planned for new parents, those considering breastfeeding, and breastfeeding advocates.
The theme for National Breastfeeding Month 2024 is "Nourish, Sustain, Thrive," which aims to highlight the importance of lactation for the human life cycle. Human milk provides the nutrients, calories, and fluids needed for a baby’s health, brain development and growth. National Breastfeeding Month also recognizes the work of organizations that make the world more welcoming for new families and parents. But it also serves as a reminder that disparities that discourage breastfeeding still exist.
Upcoming events in the Savannah area include:
World Breastfeeding Week Celebration, from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3, at Forsyth Park Farmers Market. Presented by the Coastal Health District, with activities to include a walk for breastfeeding awareness, games, raffles and photos. Register in advance to be eligible for a free gift (while supplies last).
Breastfeeding Community Conversations – Two meetings are scheduled from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 12 and Monday, Aug. 26 at the African-American Health Information & Resource Center, 1910 Abercorn St. in Savannah. The sessions will be led by Dr. Nandi Marshall of Georgia Southern University’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Healthy Savannah team members and other community leaders. Giveaways will be provided to participants. To learn more about joining the conversation, visit healthysavannah.org or email Margie Watson at [email protected].
Black Maternal Health Support Group – Meets from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22 and every fourth Thursday of the month at Restoration Chiropractic, 5102 Paulsen St. Building 7 in Savannah. Presented by Akwaaba Wellness, the group is led by Morenike Tyehimba, IBCLC, certified holistic doula, certified Reiki & meditation master. Call 912-421-0526 or 843-476-8382 or email [email protected] or [email protected].
A Breastfeeding Initiatives community engagement and planning group is forming now. Community members and leaders are invited to become involved or learn more. Email Margie Watson at [email protected].
Healthy Savannah is co-administrator, along with the YMCA of Coastal Georgia, of a five-year, $5.1 million Racial & Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant issued in 2023 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A portion of the initiative is focused on increasing awareness of the disparities that discourage breastfeeding by Black mothers in Chatham County and identifying opportunities to remove those obstacles, especially in the workplace.
The grant administrators additionally work in conjunction with the Chatham County Health Department and Georgia Southern University’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health to encourage local businesses to increase support of their employees by establishing and publicly posting a written breastfeeding and lactation support policy that sets expectations for organizational leadership and staff members.
“There are many struggles when parenting, but breastfeeding doesn’t have to be one of them,” said Nandi A. Marshall, DrPH, MPH, CHES, CLC, CDE. “We are working to connect families in the Savannah area, particularly in the Black and Hispanic communities, with the tools, skills, and knowledge to support their families at home, at work, and in the community. Our strategies include community conversations, support groups, and education focused on the PUMP Act, which provides employee protection for pumping at work.”
Marshall is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health at Georgia Southern University and is the 2024 Executive Board Chair for the American Public Health Association. She is at the forefront of local efforts to encourage Savannah businesses to adopt breastfeeding-friendly policies and environments and make them aware of REACH grant funds to help.
Healthy Savannah’s REACH team recently gathered new information in a landscape survey from new parents living in priority areas who said their choice to breastfeed is generally supported by medical advocates and the health system, but they do not typically experience support where they work, shop, or play.
While a majority (61%) of new, expecting or potential parents surveyed said they plan to breastfeed, nearly all (81%) said they had not participated in breastfeeding resources like support groups. Less than half (43%) considered Savannah-Chatham supportive of breastfeeding parents in general.
Survey participants specifically talked about the continued lack of lactation spaces in the workplace or at restaurants and other public locations. They did acknowledge support services provided by the Coastal Health District’s WIC center, lactation consultants, midwives and birthing centers. Healthy Savannah is continuing to collect responses to the survey and welcomes additional participants: surveymonkey.com/r/HealthySavannah_BFMom
The Coastal Health District offers a variety of education, support, and lactation services, including prenatal breastfeeding classes, a peer counselor program, lactation consultations, monthly support group meetings, breast pump loan program, community resource for breastfeeding education, and breastfeeding rooms.
For additional information, contact the Coastal Health District WIC Call Center at 1-855-262-7670 or visit online.
Use the guided search feature of the H.E.R.O. (Health Effective Resource Organizations) online health and social services database and click on the breastfeeding image.
Savannah Philharmonic welcomes JoAnna Farrer as Concertmaster for 2024–2025 season
The Savannah Philharmonic is pleased to announce the appointment of JoAnna Farrer as its new Concertmaster, heralding an exciting new chapter for the 2024-2025 season. Farrer, a distinguished violinist known for her exceptional talent and leadership, will join the Philharmonic bringing her extensive experience and vibrant energy to the ensemble.
JoAnna Farrer is a member of the New Jersey Symphony and has performed as a soloist with many ensembles, including the Goteborgs Symfoniker, the Philadelphia Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the Israel Philharmonic. As a concertmaster, she has worked with conductors such as James Conlon, James DePreist, and Lorin Maazel, including performances of Britten's "The Turn of the Screw" at the Kennedy Center with Maestro Maazel. In previous seasons, Farrer has served as guest concertmaster of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and toured with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and National Arts Centre Orchestra of Canada. Active as a Celtic musician, Farrer has performed mixed genre works on both electric and acoustic instruments in NY, Chicago, Paris, and London. Her debut album, Liminal Paths, was released in 2022, and she has performed with Irish and Scottish artists including Alasdair Fraser, Andy Lamy, and Natalie Haas. She has a wide variety of classical chamber music experience, including performances with artists such as Pinchas Zukerman, Emanuel Ax and Itzhak Perlman and has appeared at Merkin Hall with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Farrer has performed as a featured artist in the International Chamber Music Festival in Lima, Peru, and has also performed as the United States representative at the Kyoto International Music Festival. She is an alumna of the Perlman Music Program, as well as the National Arts Centre Young Artist Programme as a student of Pinchas Zukerman, and she completed her master’s degree at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Glenn Dicterow, former concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic. She makes her home with her husband, Darryl Kubian, in northeastern VT, with their many musical instruments and beloved farm animals.
"We are delighted to welcome JoAnna to the Savannah Philharmonic family," said Amy Williams, Executive Director. "Her extraordinary musicianship and commitment to excellence align perfectly with our vision. We are confident that she will inspire both our orchestra and our community."
Farrer’s debut with the Savannah Philharmonic as Concertmaster will take place at the 16th season opener, “Romantic Rachmaninoff,” on August 24, 2024, at the Lucas Theatre for the Arts. With tickets for the 2024-2025 season available now, the Savannah Philharmonic encourages everyone to join in welcoming JoAnna Farrer and experiencing the exceptional performances planned for the year.
For more information, please visit savannahphilharmonic.org.
