Newspaper Page Text
2 - The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, January 13., 2010
SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY NEWS
Community Activist, Advocate
Martha Fay Passes Away
Dr. Martha Fay
Census Tour Comes to Savannah
The Census tour features computer kiosks for the guests
to experience how easy the registration process can be.
By Tina A. Brown
For The Savannah Tribune
Dr. Martha B. Fay, a
community activist in the
areas of health, education
and civil rights, will be
remembered 1 p.m. Jan. 23
during an ecumenical memo
rial service at First African
Baptist Church in Savannah.
Fay - a giant among causes
she championed - left behind
a legacy of commitment,
service and a pioneering spir
it that crossed racial, ethnic,
religious and generational
barriers. She passed away
Dec. 19 at 96.
As a member of the
Chatham County Board of
Health, Fay served for three
decades and was recognized
for her advocacy in the caus
es of public health and com
munity mental health servic
es. In 2008, she was honored
by Mayor Otis Johnson and
the Chatham County Health
Department, which renamed
its building the Dr. Martha
B. Fay Public Health Center.
Fay retired from her
position on the board of
health in 2008 at the age of
94, but she stayed busy qui
etly pushing issues she cared
about. She served as the
board chairperson twice dur
ing her tenure. She also
served as a past president of
the Savannah Chatham
Board of Education and was
first elected during the
desegregation period.
Born in Ft. Smith,
Arkansas, Fay grew up in
Moline, Ill. She attended
Rockford College, where
she studied zoology and
chemistry. She earned her
doctorate in genetics in 1945
from the University of
Illinois, one year later she
and her late husband,
Richard, moved to
Savannah.
In Savannah, Fay
developed a network of
community advocacy span-
See Fay, page 16
On Thursday, January 7,
2010, the Census Tour bus
made a stop in Savannah at
the West Broad St. YMCA,
and First African Baptist
Church. At the Y, hundreds of
Savannah’s kids gathered to
learn about the 2010 census.
At both locations, there
were interactive computer
screens, special speakers, and
information to take home.
There was a magic show,
dance by a Mexican dance
troupe, and lots of fun music.
At First African, those
in attendance were enter
tained by singing group the
Wardlaw Brothers who creat
ed and performed a song
about the importance of
being counted. Magician
Houdini entertained and
awed the audience.
The event was one
of hundreds to be repeated
across the nation as we gear
up for the 2010 census. The
main purpose is awareness.
At tour stops, partici
pants also learn about the
2010 Census and the positive
impact their participation can
have on the local community.
What many people
do not realize is that the cen
sus determines how federal
tax dollars are allocated. If we
are undercounted in
Savannah, we may get less
money than we need to help
people achieve self-sufficien
cy.
The stop is part of the
Atlanta Regional Road Tour
covering Georgia, Alabama
and Florida. It is part of the
cross-country National Tour
comprised of 13 vehicles.
Census data are used to
apportion seats in Congress,
and directly affect how more
than $400 billion per year in
federal funding is distributed
to state, local and tribal gov
ernments. The census
bureau has worked hard to
make the process easy this
year. Only 10 questions. The
census form will come in
March. If a form is not
returned a replacement will
be sent. From May to July
census workers will visit
households in person if no
form was sent back.
EOA will Mobilize Area Residents to
Volunteer on King Holiday
“Beauty and Styles that Helped Shape
Our History
City of Savannah,
Recreation Services will
present "Beauty and Styles
That Helped Shape Our
History" Tuesday, February
2, 2010 at 6 p.m. in the
Johnny Mercer Theater,
Savannah Civic Center.
Come and be wowed as
our entertainers' present
songs, dance and much
more.
You will enjoy a parade
of clothing fashions across
the stage representing the
styles of the early 1900s to
the 1950s; along with a hair
show featuring styles from
1960 forward, introduced by
two local hair designers.
Make a note of this date
and be on time. You will not
want to miss a minute of this
show.
Admission is free to the
public - No ticket required.
More than 70 volunteers
are expected to turn out on the
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Holiday in Savannah on
Monday, January 18, 2010
from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. to
make the annual Day of
Service a day ON, not a day
OFF by volunteering to paint
and renovate the homes of
elderly residents according to
John H. Finney, Executive
Director of Economic
Opportunity Authority for
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Savannah-Chatham County,
Area, Inc. (EOA).
EOA has planned a day
of service that honors Dr.
King and helps further his
dream by bringing Savannah
residents together to address a
local need through service.
The renovation and weather-
ization of homes of low-
income seniors of the com
munity is part on an ongoing
effort of EOA to help reduce
blight in our community.
The project is one of
thousands taking place across
the nation as part of the 2010
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of
Service. Additional volun
teers and donations of materi
als are still needed. Canned
goods will also be accepted
on the day of the project.
Scheduled to participate
include: Delta Eta Chapter,
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity,
Inc.; Alpha Gamma Chapter,
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity,
Inc.; Gamma Sigma Omega
Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, Inc.; Delta Kappa
Chapter, Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity, Inc.; Jack and Jill
of America, Savannah
Chapter; United Way Hands
On Savannah; The Senior
Companion Program of
Georgia Southern University;
SecureHorizons by
UnitedHealthcare; The Foster
Grandparent Program of
EOA and The Retired and
Senior Volunteer Program of
EOA; and Savannah State
University Chapter of the
Collegiate 100.
Business partners
include The Home Depot,
Abercom St.; Lowe’s Home
Improvement Warehouse
Store of Savannah, Abercom
St.; The Sherwin-Williams
Company, Victory Dr.; The
Sherwin-Williams Company,
Ogeechee Rd.; Will’s Repairs,
Zaxby’s Restaurant,
Ogeechee Rd.
EOA, located at 618 W.
Anderson St., is a local non
profit organization whose
mission is to provide commu
nity-based services which
empower citizens to attain
economic independence and a
higher quality of life.
DR- MARTIN LUTHER KING | R,
SEAFOODS
'! h i* ft r Ii^‘f e ti ; c h tin ! H ; t
912-920-3474
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