SAVANNAH, Ga. - eTradeWire -- (SAVANNAH, GA) Healthy Savannah (http://HEALTHYSAVANNAH.ORG) and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia (http://YMCaofcoastalga.org/) are inviting community members interested in health equity to consider becoming Community Health Advocates (CHAs). An online information and training session is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 13.

"If you are a neighborhood representative, a church or health ministry leader, community service provider, or someone who enjoys interacting, sharing information, and listening, we hope you will consider this opportunity to elevate the health equity of our community," said Nichele Hoskins, communication manager." The main purpose of this outreach is to build awareness among people living in Chatham County's priority communities to help prevent, minimize, identify, and understand more about the spread of viruses. It's especially important for people with chronic diseases like diabetes, asthma, and high blood pressure. Their risk of getting very sick or dying due to COVID or influenza is high."

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In addition to a $500 stipend participants will receive for performing community outreach activities after the training, they can look forward to sharpening leadership and networking skills, and learning about advocacy.

The upcoming training session is the fifth to be being offered as part of a greater effort funded by a supplemental grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://CDC.GOV) to broaden initiatives of the current Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant (https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/state-local-programs/reach/index.htm), administered by Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia. To date, this initiative has focused on COVID-19 and Flu vaccine access, awareness, and acceptance, particularly in Savannah's Black and Hispanic communities; but is broadening efforts to encompass health conditions that make people more vulnerable.

The CHA program has equipped more than 50 Chatham County residents to meet with those in their own communities to hear perspectives and experiences with vaccines and related concerns. This interaction is helping provide a more thorough understanding of current perceptions and offer feedback that could help shape public health interaction with people in priority communities.

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Since the program launched last summer, each CHA training class has followed an in-person listening session to hear about the experiences, perceptions and concerns related to access, awareness, and acceptance of the COVID vaccine.

Feedback from the most recent listening session held in January included the importance of telling one's story. This inspired a workshop held in February, led by Savannah native and author Wanda Lloyd Healthy Savannah chairperson and local storyteller Lillian Grant-Baptiste. Entitled, "Listen. Speak. Advocate: Share Your Story for Health Equity," the event emphasized the importance of sharing one's health story, and of listening to the stories of others.

To apply for the April 13 Community Health Advocate training program, or to learn more, please email Dr. Elsie Smalls at elsie@healthysavannah.org or call 843-323-9997.