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10 - The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, November 19, 2008
SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY NEWS
Local Girl Scout Represents
Council at National Convention
“Be a Santa to a Senior”
Brighten the Holidays for
Hundreds of Forgotten Seniors in
Chatham, Beaufort and Jasper
Counties. Volunteers and Santa to
Deliver 1,000 Gifts in December
Hundreds of local sen
iors who otherwise might be
forgotten this holiday season
will receive gifts and com
panionship once again
through the local “Be a Santa
to a Senior” program. Dozens
of senior living facilities,
non-profit organizations and
area retailers are partnering
with event sponsor Home
Instead Senior Care of
Savannah and Hilton Head
Island to brighten the lives of
seniors in Chatham, Beaufort
and Jasper counties with
1,000 gifts.
“While we focus on
children during this time of
year, we also must remember
our older generation that too
often is overlooked,” said
Rachel Carson, owner of
Home Instead Senior Care
offices in Savannah and
Hilton Head. The program is
also designed to provide
social interaction for seniors
who are unlikely to have
guests during the holidays.”
From Monday, Nov. 3,
until Friday, Nov. 28, shop
pers can select ornaments
from “Be a Santa to a Senior”
trees in Savannah at all four
Darby Bank locations, Shear
Elegance, 8507 Ferguson
Ave., Neal Chiropractic and
Wellness, 1101 E. 51st St.,
Curves, 7135 Hodgson
Memorial, Merry Times,
4521 Habersham St., and the
Wound Care Clinic, 815 E.
68th St.
Many others are helping
with the program: Memorial
Day School is having a dress-
down day to raise money,
Johnson High School is hold
ing a stuffed animal drive,
Curves at Savannah Mall is
gathering wrapping paper and
supplies, and Generation One
is donating storage space for
gifts. On Wednesday Dec. 3
from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. there
will be a progressive dinner
and raffle at Palm Meadows
Court, Palm Meadows
Village and Hawthorne Inn.
Each ornament lists the first
name of a senior in need,
along with gift requests.
Seniors were selected by par
ticipating non-profit organi
zations. Holiday shoppers can
purchase gifts and return
them unwrapped, along with
the ornament, to the tree loca
tion.
Home Instead Senior Care
then enlists the help of com
munity volunteers and staff
members to collect, wrap,
and distribute the gifts.
Wrapping parties are
scheduled for Tuesday, Dec.
2, and Wednesday, Dec. 3 in
Savannah, and Tuesday, Dec.
9, at Broadcreek Care Center,
and Wednesday, Dec. 10, at
S.H.A.R.E. on Hilton Head
Island. Santa Claus and many
volunteers will deliver gifts
beginning Thursday, Dec. 11.
Anyone interested in volun
teering is encouraged to con
tact Home Instead Senior
Care at (912) 355-0099 or
hiscrach@bellsouth.net.
Businesses are encouraged to
contact the local Home
Instead Senior Care office
about adopting groups of sen
iors. For more information
about the program, tree loca
tions and community part
ners, log on to www.beasan-
tatoasenior.com.
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA -
Girl Scouts of the USA host
ed their national convention
in Indianapolis, Indiana,
October 30 - November 2,
2008, and the event brought
thousands of girls, adults,
celebrities and exhibitors to
the town.
One of just sixteen Girl
Scouts from across the state
of Georgia to attend the con
ference, local Girl Scout
Senior Candice Johnson of
Troop 30440 in Savannah
represented the Girl Scouts
of Historic Georgia as a
guest at the convention.
Johnson is a sophomore at
Savannah Arts Academy and
has been a Girl Scout for
eleven years.
Pop culture fixtures like
MTV's SuChin Pak, Radio
Disney's Keke Palmer and
stars of MTV's Run's House
Angela and Vanessa
Simmons headlined a special
event for 2000 girls - the Girl
Scout Leadership Institute -
before the convention at
Indiana Convention Center
and Westin Hotel. The
event's theme was Live
healthy, Lead healthy, and
workshops from nationally
recognized experts focused
on physical and emotional
health, global diversity and
advocacy. The Girl Scout
Leadership Institute was
planned by 22 Girl Scouts
from across central Indiana.
SuChin Pak, MTV
News Correspondent, led a
panel discussion about dif
ferent cultural and media
views of women around the
globe, and Angela and
Candice Johnson
Vanessa Simmons of MTV's
Run's House and founders of
Pastry clothing line closed
the Girl Scout Leadership
Institute with a keynote pres
entation about the challenges
of starting their own business
and living in the media spot
light. The duo signed on with
the Girl Scout organization
last November to help pro
mote the Girl Scouts' entre
preneurship and financial lit
eracy programs.
The 2008 Girl Scout
National Council
Session/51st Convention
opened on the evening of
October 30, with thousands
of Girl Scouts from across
the nation celebrating with a
flag ceremony, a visit from
Indianapolis Mayor Gregory
Ballard and a concert by new
Def Jam recording artist
Karina Pais.
The Girl Scout National
Council Session/Convention
takes place every three years.
During this event, the
National Council of Girl
Scouts makes important
decisions critical to the con
tinued success of the organi
zation. The National
Council consists of delegates
elected by local Girl Scout
councils, and is representa
tive of USA Girl Scouts
Overseas, members of the
National Board of Directors
and the National Nominating
Committee, past presidents
of Girl Scouts of the USA
and other persons who may
be elected by the National
Council. Business meetings
to vote on the direction of the
organization were highlight
ed with small group discus
sions and motivational guest
speakers.
The convention
wrapped up with presenta
tions by award-winning
actress Geena Davis and
Marie C. Wilson.
Inaugural
Fund Raising
Event for
Savannah ? s
West Broad
Street YMCA
On November 30, 2008,
at 5 pm, West Broad Street
YMCA at 1110 May St. will
be host to “Those Singing
Pastors” an inaugural fund
raising event for the Y. There
is no admission charge and
refreshments will be available.
Rev. Clarence “Teddy”
Williams of First Tabernacle
Baptist Church and Pastor
Shannon O'Neil Smith Sr. of
First Mount Sinai Church
have offered a challenge to
Savannah area pastors to help
raise funds for the West Broad
Street YMCA. Pastors are
encouraged to support this
endeavor with not less than
$500 raised from their congre
gation. Currently there are 8
churches participating and
more are expected.
Mr. E. Larry McDuffie,
local radio host and well
known speaker, will be the
Master of Ceremonies for the
event. “It will be a time of
food, fun, and fellowship!”,
says McDuffie adding, “And
best of all it is free to the pub
lic!” Awards will be given for
the most funds raised by a
congregation, best dressed,
event attendance, and best
singer.
Currently along with
Rev. Williams and Pastor
Smith, Rev. Willie C. Rice of
Macedonia Baptist Church,
Dr. Norris Darden of New
Generation Full Gospel
Church, Bishop Napper of
Power House, Rev. Matthew
Southall Brown, Jr. for St.
John Baptist, and Rev. Sammy
Kenty of Jerusalem Baptist
Church have agreed to partici
pate.
“It's really a great
cause,” states Pastor Smith.
“The Y serves so many people
in the community. It has had
some hard times in the past
but it is really coming around.
We want to help it grow to
serve more of the families in
our area. It has a rich history
and a great future if we help
it.” Smith says.
There will be full din
ners, beverages, and deserts
for sale at the event. It is for
the whole family and sure to
be a time of great fun, laugh
ter, joy, and wonderful way to
kick off the holiday season.
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