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For over 120 years, The Fresh Air Home on Tybee Is. has served as a summer camp for children of Savannah & surrounding areas.
The Fresh Air Home – located on the beach on Tybee Island – provides a camp for children whose family could use a little help.
The Fresh Air Home offers a loving, secure and nurturing environment. For many, attending camp is an experience of a lifetime. The organization that runs the camp is a non-profit group of 50 women who are all volunteers.
Thanks to many generous donors, there is no charge to attend this 11-day, overnight camp.
The Fresh Air Home on Tybee Is. accepts campers ages 4-11. The typical child who attends may be from a single parent home, a family that is in financial crisis, one dealing with an illness or other family issues.
The camp is for a child who could benefit from time at camp but the parent can not afford this luxury.
Registration packages are mailed out as requests from the hotline are processed.
To request an application, please call the voicemail hotline at 912-786-4886. The phone line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week beginning April 23rd.
Camp Dates 2018
Session II: Mon. June 18 – Fri. June 29
Session III: Tues. July 2 – Fri. July 13
Session IV: Mon. July 16 – Fri. July 27
Learn more here.
The Wilmington Island Farmers’ Market will host a fundraiser for the family of nine-year-old dancer Kate McKay, also known as “Kate the Great,” who was diagnosed with leukemia and passed away on April 26.
Donations will be collected to help the McKay family, who live in Thunderbolt, pay for medical bills and funeral expenses. Funds will also be raised via a silent auction featuring over 70 items, including a Yeti cooler, a round of golf at the new Savannah Country Club, jewelry by SCAD alumna, original artwork, beauty packages, gift cards to Savannah businesses and more.
Highlights of this family-friendly event include a guest appearance by 97.3 Kiss FM, free information sessions with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society – Savannah, a water slide, a soccer skills demonstration from Savannah United, Father’s Day crafts, giant yard games with Mathnasium and Leopold’s famous ice cream. The market will offer its customary variety of food, including $1 hot dogs, and handcrafted items for purchase from local vendors.
Admission to this special market, co-hosted by Gretchen Greene School of Dance, is free and open to the public. Parking is available on-site.
Learn more here.
Saturday, June 16, 2018
9AM-1PM
Leopold’s Ice Cream: 10AM- 1PM
Savannah United Soccer Skills Demonstration: 10:30 – 11:30AM
97.3 Kiss FM Radio Appearance: 11AM-Noon
$1 Hot Dogs: 11AM-12:30PM
Wilmington Is. Farmer’s Market
Islands High School
170 Whitemarsh Island Road
Savannah 31410
Families are invited to visit Compassion Christian Church East Campus in Savannah for a FREE Back to School Bash.
This is a chance for children to receive free uniforms, school supplies, toiletries, and a haircut before going back to school.
This event is offering each child: a free bag of school supplies, a free bag of hygiene items (toothpaste, toothbrushes, bars of soap, shampoo, deodorant) and an opportunity to pick out a free, gently-used uniform and shoes (while supplies last); plus a free haircut.
There will be games, prizes & fun
Sat. July 21, 2018
9-11:30AM
Compassion Christian Church East Campus
9150 Old Montgomery Rd.
Savannah, GA 31406
Imagine…an entirely free month of Kindermusik Savannah for your child in June.
Imagine…a place where your special needs child is welcomed, integrated, and treated just like everybody else- the uniquely special individual that she is!
At Kindermusik Savannah , every child has a special need- the need to be himself – in a comfortable, affirming and joyful learning environment.
This June, Kindermusik Savannah with 88 Keys Piano is giving away a free month to two children with special needs. Deadline to apply is May 31, 2018. For more information, email info@kindermusikwith88keys.com or text “FREEJUNE” to 912-432-5885.
Musical playdates for ages 0-7
There is still limited space left in our May musical play dates- “This is My Dance!” Open to ages 0-7 and their caregivers. Play dates will be May 19; May 23 & May 26 at 10AM. Enroll at kindermusikwith88keys.com.
Kindermusik Savannah, kindermusikwith88keys.com, email music@kindermusikwith88keys.com or info@kindermusikwith88keys.com, 912.988.KEYS (5397) Kindermusik is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser
Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry in Savannah is doing even more to help put your child at ease when visiting the dentist.
The practice is building a sensory quiet room for those with special needs and for younger ones, age 1-3.
Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry accepts most insurance including the following insurance: Amerigroup, CareSource, PeachState and Well Care (these are all Georgia Medicaid) The other main ones accepted @ Dogwood are United Concordia/Tricare (military), Ameritas, MetLife and Cigna.
Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry in Savannah is accepting new patients and you can request an appointment online by visiting their Web site here.
SPECIAL NEEDS PATIENTS
If you’re the parent or guardian of a child with disabilities, you’ll appreciate the support, skill and compassion found with Dr. Krista and our office.
Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry can help put your child on the path of good oral health with a preventative dental care plan customized to fit your child’s needs.
Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry
4849 Paulsen St., Suite 101
Savannah, GA 31405
912-298-KIDS (5437)
Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry, www.dogwoodsmiles.com, 4849 Paulsen St., Suite 101, Savannah 31405, 912-298-KIDS (5437), email admin@dogwoodsmiles.com. Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser
House of Strut in Savannah’s Kids Fashion Bootcamp 2018 is a week long, hands-on fashion workshop camp for children ages 5 to 11 years. Camp concludes with a runway show!
Children design, create and have fun.
Camp will be June 25-June 29 or July 9-13 2018.
Camp hours are 10AM-3PM, Monday through Thursday and Friday 10AM-6PM with the runway show at 5PM on Friday.
KIDS FASHION BOOTCAMP
The Kids Fashion Bootcamp 2018 focuses on educating these creative students on personal style, vintage versus fast fashion and fashion history lessons.
The hands-on projects include designing and creating their own fashions for the runway show at the end of the week. Fashion projects include: up-cycling denim, creation of jewelry, natural dying, screen-printing, styling and runway practice and education.
At the end of the week, the children will put on a runway show for parents, friends and the public.
CAMP APPLICATIONS
To submit an application for your child, please click here.
The camp supports the Savannah non-profit, Loop It Up Savannah.
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House of Strut, www.houseofstrut.com, 17 West 41st St. (Lower Unit), Savannah 31401, (912) 712-3902, email erica@houseofstrut.com House of Strut is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser
Here’s a fun way to support St. Vincent’s Academy in Savannah.
St. Vincent’s Academy’s Martinis & Masterpieces event will be Thurs. April 19 2018 at the Knights of Columbus on Liberty Street from 6-9PM.
The night will feature a fabulous jazz trio, wonderful food, signature martinis, and a reverse art raffle with over 100 pieces of local art included with your ticket price.
After perusing artwork during cocktail hour, when your number is called out, you will be able to choose one of the pieces of artwork to leave with that evening!
It promises to be a night of great fun! Purchase your ticket today online here.
This event is open to the public. You do not need to have a child currently attending St. Vincent’s to participate.
St. Vincent’s Academy is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser
Visit A Mosque Day – Savannah
Hosted by Islamic Center Of Savannah
You are invited to Visit a Mosque Day on March 10, 2018, 3-6PM. Although most mosques are always open to the public, this is a chance for individuals and groups to enjoin in a casual setting with Muslims from their neighborhoods. Members of all faiths are invited. This is a kid-friendly event.
Edward Ahmed Mitchell, Executive Director of CAIR Georgia, will be the keynote speaker.
Come and get to know your Muslim neighbors. Be sure to invite your friends, neighbors, and colleagues and enjoy Middle-Eastern hors d’oeuvre & sweets.
Visit www.AtlantaMuslim.com/VAMD for a list of Georgia Mosques participating. #VisitAMosqueATL
Saturday, March 10, 3-6PM
Islamic Center Of Savannah
1030 Dutchtown Road
Savannah 31419
There’s a huge need for foster homes in the Savannah area. There are ways you can help – whether it’s taking the huge step and becoming trained to become a foster parent or simply by volunteering to help support foster kids in our area.
Here are some resources to help foster kids:
Lutheran Services of Georgia is one of the largest non-profit providers of specialized foster care services in Georgia. Lutheran Services of Georgia works in partnership with the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) to ensure the safety, permanency, and well-being of children. LSG provides Specialized Foster Care services for children in the custody of the DFCS and the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Specialized Foster Care Services are offered in Savannah among other Georgian cities.
Learn about becoming a foster parent & upcoming trainings here.
Georgia MENTOR is an agency that partners with the Department of Family and Children Services to place foster children with emotional, behavioral or medical challenges in care.
Georgia MENTOR also provides training and support to foster parents to care for children who have been through many difficult challenges. That’s in addition to what foster parents receive from DFACS.
The Georgia MENTOR program in Savannah, which serves several counties in the surrounding area, has a huge need for therapeutic foster homes.
CONTACT: Complete a foster application with Georgia MENTOR online at makeadifferenceathome.com or call 912-234-6853.
Read our newspaper column about the need for foster care homes in Savannah here.
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Volunteer or donate to help foster children in the Savannah area
Savannah/Chatham County CASA program
Savannah/Chatham County’s nonprofit CASA program, part of a national program which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, is in need of more volunteers to represent the best interests of abused or neglected children in the court system.
CASA trains volunteers to serve as the eyes and ears of judges in child abuse and neglect cases. A newly trained volunteer is appointed one case at first to research in depth. This involves talking to the children, relatives, teachers and others, attending court hearings, completing court reports and more. The volunteer then reports back to the judge with information gathered about what would be in the best interest of the child.
Abused or neglected children in the court system who have a CASA volunteer are more likely to find a safe, permanent home, more likely to get more help while in the system, and more likely to do better in school.
CONTACT: Donations to the Savannah/Chatham program are accepted online. Volunteer applications are also available online. Find out about both here.
For more information, contact Samantha Oughtred, one of four advocacy coordinators at Savannah/Chatham County CASA Inc: samantha@savannahcasa.org or 912-663-9728
Read our newspaper article about the need for CASA volunteers in Savannah here.
Read our newspaper article about two CASA volunteers helping abused and neglected children in Savannah here.
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More Savannah resources for foster care families, children
Foster Care Closet in Savannah
When a child enters foster care, they often have little or no personal belongings. At the Foster Care Closet in Savannah, they can get a duffel bag, toiletries and a clothes bag with two new outfits, a pair of pajamas and socks and underwear.
The P.A.C.K. closet at the Department of Family and Children’s Services Building in Savannah is accessible only to social workers. They are able to bring children with them into this happy space and allow them to choose a duffle bag, a bag of clothes (2 outfits, PJs, socks, underwear), a toiletry bag, a stuffed animal, a blanket, and other necessities. When the children cannot be present, the items are selected by their case worker.
Volunteer or donate with P.A.C.K (People of Action Caring for Kids) in Savannah to help with the Foster Care Closet. Find more information at packsavannah.com or email packsavannahga@gmail.com
Read our newspaper column about P.A.C.K. here.
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To have additional Savannah foster care children resources listed here, please email the information to anne@southernmamas.com
You are invited to a special Savannah community fundraiser: SOUP IT UP for LOOP IT UP 2018 – The Second Serving!
This event marks the second year of Loop It Up’s signature fundraising event, in which local chefs will compete for the title of the Golden Soup Bowl while generously raising funds to support Loop It Up Savannah’s programming for Savannah youth and services to local families.
A fundraising campaign that’s currently under way will culminate with the SOUP IT UP for LOOP IT UP event on March 3, 2018 at Ghost Coast Distillery in Savannah. The event will be from 7-10:30PM and will feature soup tasting, hors d’oeuvers, raffles, a children’s art exhibition, live music and the soup contest itself.
Funds raised will support Loop It Up Savannah, a nonprofit that provides programs for Savannah young people and services to Savannah families in low-income areas.
Purchase a ticket online here by specifying the in the message section of your donation the number of tickets you are requesting. Single tickets are $60. Couples are $100. Tickets come with sponsorships so please consider one of the sponsorship levels listed here.
Soup It Up for Loop It Up 2018
Sat. March 3 2018, 7 PM
Ghost Coast Distillery
641 Indian St.
Savannah, GA 31401
100 DAYS SMARTER
St. Andrew’s School 4 year olds celebrated the 100th day of school by giving back to the Savannah community.
These young students prepared, packaged and donated 100 sandwiches to the Inner City Night Shelter which provides help to homeless men and women. The Pre-K class has been studying the importance of service and working together to help others and marked this day in a unique way.
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About St. Andrew’s
St. Andrew’s is a college preparatory school for Pre-K3 through Grade 12 located on Wilmington Island, Savannah.
The independent school is an International Baccalaureate World School and has been recognized
for the past five years as an Apple Distinguished School. St. Andrew’s School was named best Savannah private school in Savannah Magazine in 2016.
Open House: Learn more about St. Andrew’s at an open house, 9AM Thurs. March 1 2018. Call 897.4941, x. 452 for more information or to reserve a spot
For more information, visit saslions.com or call 897.4941.
St. Andrew’s School, 601 Penn Waller Rd, Savannah, 31410. 912.897.4941, www.saintschool.com , email admission@saintschool.com On Facebook here. On Twitter here. St. Andrew’s is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.
The family-friendly Old Fort Jackson Annual Auction will be Sat. Nov. 4, 6-10PM.
Guests can enjoy beautiful views of the Savannah River, a silent auction featuring many unique, high quality items, artillery and musket demonstrations by costumed historical interpreters and delicious cuisine provided by Creative Catering.
“The Old Fort Jackson Annual Auction is the perfect way for the community to help protect a National Historic Landmark that once protected the city of Savannah during the War of 1812 and the American Civil War,” said Jennifer Rouse, Site Administrator at Old Fort Jackson. “The money raised from this fundraiser will directly support Old Fort Jackson and will help support daily educational programming as well as special events.”
Old Fort Jackson is the oldest standing brick fort in the state of Georgia and one of only five remaining Second System coastal brick fortifications in the United States. The site is solely reliant upon admissions and donations from community supporters to continue operating as a public historic site.
The Annual Auction will have dozens of highly sought after items for guests to bid on, including a pair of Atlanta Movie Tour tickets valued at $130, a baseball autographed by Atlanta Braves Outfielder Ender Inciarte, a two-night say at Tybee Vacation Rentals valued at $500, four Park Hopper passes to Walt Disney World valued at $648 and a Progressive Paddle Board valued at $800.
Admission to this event is FREE. A lowcountry boil and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available for an additional fee. This event is made possible by generous support from: Kinder Morgan.
The Annual Auction is a family event and all ages are welcome. A lowcountry boil and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available for an additional fee. This event is made possible by generous support from: Kinder Morgan.
Coastal Heritage Society is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser
We love what Savannah mom of three Carmen Vazquez is doing to help her island of Puerto Rico.
Carmen has teamed with Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners in Savannah to provide a way to directly help Puerto Rico, where nearly 90 percent of the island is still without power three weeks after Hurricane Maria made landfall there.
You can help, too, by donating to Puerto Rico Youth at Risk, Inc., PRYAR (Jóvenes de Puerto Rico en Riesgo, Inc.), a private non-profit organization that has worked in PR since 1996, designing and implementing programs geared to youth at risk. Carmen’s been involved with PRYAR since its inception in 1996.
100% of all donated funds will go to PRYAR. That means your money will not go towards overhead, administration and red tape, but will directly help support people in PR who are dealing with losses.
Donate via GoFundMe here. You will receive a receipt for tax purposes.
Here’s the PRYAR action plan to concentrate on relief efforts to all residents of the communities they serve. Most of these communities concentrate around where the eye made landfall. Each school served by their programs has a tutoring center managed by PRYAR. These centers will become their operation center for each community.
•They will offer services in the communities instead of expecting residents to move to San Juan to access services.
•Most of these schools are currently used as refugee centers for people who have lost their homes. They will open their doors to all of them and become an extra resource for the mayor of those municipalities in supporting them to access FEMA services and governmental support.
•They will visit and access all 359 families they currently serve to determine the needs for each family and youth. They will offer psychological services to these families.
•They will create support groups at each school through their licensed staff to help residents cope with loss, learn resiliency and healthy recovery, deal with this crisis and help them manage the emotional effects of this event in an empowering way.
•They will recruit their Youth Leadership Program (Orden del Manicato) to help with cleanup efforts and be available for community support in rebuilding. As power and internet are restored to each center, they will be available for residents to have access to computer services.
•As schools start providing educational services again the organization and its tutors will be available to serve the Department of Education as needed in the process of reintegrating the students and catching up with loss of instructional time. .
Donate via GoFundMe here. You will receive a receipt for tax purposes.
The family-friendly Old Fort Jackson Annual Auction will be Sat. Nov. 4, 6-10PM.
Guests can enjoy beautiful views of the Savannah River, a silent auction featuring many unique, high quality items, artillery and musket demonstrations by costumed historical interpreters and delicious cuisine provided by Creative Catering.
“The Old Fort Jackson Annual Auction is the perfect way for the community to help protect a National Historic Landmark that once protected the city of Savannah during the War of 1812 and the American Civil War,” said Jennifer Rouse, Site Administrator at Old Fort Jackson. “The money raised from this fundraiser will directly support Old Fort Jackson and will help support daily educational programming as well as special events.”
Old Fort Jackson is the oldest standing brick fort in the state of Georgia and one of only five remaining Second System coastal brick fortifications in the United States. The site is solely reliant upon admissions and donations from community supporters to continue operating as a public historic site.
The Annual Auction will have dozens of highly sought after items for guests to bid on, including a pair of Atlanta Movie Tour tickets valued at $130, a baseball autographed by Atlanta Braves Outfielder Ender Inciarte, a two-night say at Tybee Vacation Rentals valued at $500, four Park Hopper passes to Walt Disney World valued at $648 and a Progressive Paddle Board valued at $800.
Admission to this event is FREE. A lowcountry boil and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available for an additional fee. This event is made possible by generous support from: Kinder Morgan.
The Annual Auction is a family event and all ages are welcome. A lowcountry boil and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available for an additional fee. This event is made possible by generous support from: Kinder Morgan.
Coastal Heritage Society is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser
UPDATE: At its Tuesday night (Sept. 26) meeting, the Board of Trustees of Live Oak Public Libraries voted to move library operations from the Thunderbolt Library to Islands Library, effective October 26, 2017.
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Thunderbolt Library is at risk of being closed.
The Live Oak Public Library Board of Trustees is expected to vote on whether to close Thunderbolt Library at the Regional Board Meeting, Tues. Sept. 26, 2017, 5PM.
See the meeting agenda here.
This is the regularly scheduled September meeting. The Regional Board of Trustees of Live Oak Public Libraries meets in the Board Room at the Bull Street Library, 2002 Bull St., Savannah. Board meetings are open to the public.
Supporters of the Thunderbolt Library in favor of keeping the library open are encouraged to attend the meeting and speak out.
We don’t typically promote fun runs & road races because there are just so many that, well, that fun runs & road races would end up being all we’d promote.
But this annual jogging-stroller friendly Savannah race is for such a good cause, it’s too important NOT to promote: the Help the Hoo-Hahs 2017 5K run or walk on Sept. 23 2017, 8:30AM @ Savannah International Trade & Convention Center, 1 International Dr, Savannah GA 31421.
This is a flat scenic course for walkers & runners of all ages. Jogging strollers & dogs on leashes are welcome.
Since 2011, this race has raised more than $150,000 for financial assistance for women battling ovarian, cervical & other GYN cancers.
Register online here.
Hosted by Help the Hoo-Hahs Gynecological Cancer Awareness and Memorial University Medical Center