(SAVANNAH, GA) Stacy Jennings, a prominent marketing figure in the Savannah market and a long-time supporter of the YMCA of Coastal Georgia, will serve as the campaign chair for the Y’s 2023 Community Impact Campaign, a drive that aims to raise $662,000 to fund a wide swath of YMCA programs.

“As a long-time member of the YMCA, I know first-hand how it serves everyone in the community and is particularly impactful for children,” Jennings said.

Jennings’ role as the campaign chair is to drive volunteer efforts to generate contributions that fund vital YMCA programs and to serve as the face of the 2023 campaign, which runs through the end of December 2023.

Supporters can donate to the campaign at www.ymcaofcoastalga.com/donate or by calling Suzanne Duggan, annual fund director, at her office at the Habersham Street YMCA at 912-358-2651.

Jennings is the director of communications for the Savannah Chatham County Public School System. Previously, she led the marketing department at the Savannah Morning News after starting as an advertising account executive in 1986. Over the course of a 30-year career there, she worked in a variety of roles at the newspaper, including sales management, advertising production services, special projects, and event marketing. She later joined the Georgia Press Association to direct its sales and marketing efforts until 2019, when she joined the communications department at the public schools.

In addition to a longstanding volunteer relationship with YMCA of Coastal Georgia, she also has served on the boards for United Way of the Coastal Empire, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire, the Rape Crisis Center, and the vestry of St. John’s Church. She has been recognized by the American Advertising Federation, the Newspaper Association of America (now part of the International News Media Association), the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Small Business Assistance Corporation. She has performed various board duties for professional organizations including chairing conferences, competitions, training and professional development, and organizational development/change. The Tulane University graduate is also an accomplished speaker on topics such as branding, marketing and media, and strategies for change.

The Community Impact Campaign will run through the end of the year. Donations are tax deductible.

The funds will go toward children’s Coastal Safety Around Water courses; swim sessions; the Y-Readers Program, which helps students catch up to grade level in their reading skills; A Place to Dream, which provides beds for needy children; summer day camps; after-school programs; youth sports; teen leadership and workforce development; membership scholarships; the Live Strong Program and rehabilitation programs.

ABOUT THE YMCA OF COASTAL GEORGIA
The YMCA of Coastal Georgia is the largest provider of childcare in the Coastal Georgia region, operating 11 units in Bulloch, Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, Liberty, Long, McIntosh and Glynn Counties. The YMCA serves men and women, girls and boys of all ages and from all walks of life regardless of the ability to pay. All of this and more is accomplished while putting forth the Y mission to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. http://YMCAofCoastalGA.org

CONTACT

The YMCA of Coastal Georgia
6400 Habersham St, Ste A,
Savannah, GA 31405
Phone: (912) 354-5480
http://YMCAofCoastalGA.org

MEDIA CONTACT

Marjorie Young
Carriage Trade Public Relations® Inc.
912.844.9990
www.carriagetradepr.com
marjorie@carriagetradepr.com

(EFFINGHAM COUNTY) The Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society (LDSS) will be hosting its 14th annual Camp Buddy summer camp for Effingham County on June 25-29 at the Blandford Elementary School and local places in Rincon for community-based learning opportunities.

Camp Buddy is for children of all ages with Down syndrome and is designed to help students retain previous accomplishments and prepare for the upcoming school year with a specially designed curriculum by special education teachers and therapists.

Elementary school children will attend the morning session where they will stay at the facility and engage in one-on-one occupational, physical and speech therapy. Campers will also enjoy games, arts and crafts with educational components.

Middle school children will also receive therapies as they work on several projects including preparing bags for Backpack Buddies, teacher appreciation bags, and experiencing opportunities that will help them advance in challenging academic areas.

High schoolers will attend the later afternoon session and will engage in various activities such as volunteering at local food and clothing pantries and going on a shopping trip to the grocery store where they will work on budgeting and healthy meal planning. During the camp session, they will have an opportunity to learn occupational and life skills in the kitchen as well as preparing several meals. An overnight stay will assist with learning valuable skills that will promote living independently. Extra fun physical activities in the community will be enjoyed by this group also.

“Our 14th annual Camp Buddy is here! It provides a great opportunity for awesome, differently-abled individuals who have Down syndrome or a similar chromosomal abnormality to receive needed physical, occupational and speech therapies as well as enhance and retain gains made throughout the school year by working individually with each camper to retain what was learned and address specific academic challenges to ready them for the upcoming school year” said Camp Buddy director, Molly Marchese.

Throughout the camp session, occupational, physical, and speech therapy are cleverly disguised as games and activities, and all campers participate in activities that promote health and wellness as well as the importance of giving back to the community.

To register for the Effingham County Camp Buddy, contact Molly Marchese at mollymarchese6107@gmail.com or 912-213-9127.

>>> Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society (LDSS) will also be hosting Camp Buddy summer camp for Chatham County on July 10-14 at St. Andrews School, located at 601 Penn Waller Rd, on Wilmington Island. Contact Pam Hussey, pbjhussey@gmail.com to register. <<<

Camp Buddy is sponsored by the Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society and is made possible through the generosity of the community, friends and families of LDSS and events such as the Buddy Walk and Night of Champions. For more information about LDSS, visit http://www.ldssga.org/

ABOUT THE LOWCOUNTRY DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY:
The Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society (LDSS) is a support group to benefit people with Down Syndrome and their families through local leadership in support, outreach, education and advocacy. Meetings are held every 3rd Thursday of the month, typically with a guest speaker and social time for families to meet and interact with one another. LDSS encourages people to bring their children. LDSS is an affiliate of the National Down Syndrome Society. For more information about LDSS, visit http://www.ldssga.org/

CONTACT
Molly Marchese
mollymarchese6107@gmail.com
912-213-9127

(CHATHAM COUNTY) The Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society (LDSS) will be hosting its 14th annual Camp Buddy summer camp for Chatham County on July 10-14 at St. Andrews School, located at 601 Penn Waller Rd, on Wilmington Island.

Camp Buddy is for children of all ages with Down syndrome and is designed to help students prepare for the upcoming school year with a specially designed curriculum.

Activities that take place during Camp Buddy include but are not limited to, cooking, art, crafts, life skill lessons, physical and occupational therapy, money and time management-related activities. These activities are created and designed to grow the student’s knowledge base and hands-on experience with real-life scenarios. Money and time management will help the students with real-life purchasing processes and understand the importance of a daily routine. Cooking activities present real-life situations that focus on safety and following instructions and steps to create the dish and achieve the goal. Arts and crafts will help develop hand strength and muscle development with physical therapy activities such as scooter board riding that helps develop core strength that in turn helps with small muscle development.

For over 14 years, the Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society has been helping students with Down syndrome enjoy summer fun at Camp Buddy with a customized curriculum designed by special education, occupational, physical, and speech therapists that helps the students retain the information they learned during the previous school year and preparing for the upcoming school year.

Throughout the camp session, occupational, physical, and speech therapy are cleverly disguised as games, and campers participate in activities that promote health and wellness as well as the importance of giving back to the community.

Camp Buddy is sponsored by the Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society and is made possible through the generosity of the community, friends and families of LDSS and events such as the Buddy Walk and Night of Champions. Camp Buddy for Effingham County was held in June. For more information about LDSS, visit http://www.ldssga.org/

ABOUT THE LOWCOUNTRY DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY:
The Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society (LDSS) is a support group to benefit people with Down Syndrome and their families through local leadership in support, outreach, education and advocacy. Meetings are held every 3rd Thursday of the month, typically with a guest speaker and social time for families to meet and interact with one another. LDSS encourages people to bring their children. LDSS is an affiliate of the National Down Syndrome Society. For more information about LDSS, visit http://www.ldssga.org/

CONTACT
Pam Hussey
pbjhussey@gmail.com

MEDIA CONTACT
Marjorie Young
Carriage Trade Public Relations® Inc.
912-844-9990
marjorie@carriagetradepr.com
www.carriagetradepr.com