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The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, May 17, 2023 9
First City Pride Center’s Zeta Chi Chi Nursing Sorority, Incorporated Celebrates
Stonewall Block Party National Nurses Week
First City Pride Cen
ter presents Stonewall Block
Party, a free block party on
Bull Street between E 31st and
E 33rd Street! The event will
be held June 24, 2023 5PM-
10PM. This event is free and
open to the public with option
al VIP Tickets and Fundraising
Games.
We will “Rock the
Block” in celebration of our
6th anniversary and pay tribute
to Stonewall with musical en
tertainment, advocacy & com
munity organizations.
Join us for entertain
ment by DJ Basik Lee, featured
performers from the Tongue
Open Mouth and Music show,
Stardust Pixxies, as well as a
Drag Competition featuring lo
cal favorites. There will be free
HIV testing, the return of the
BEAD GAME, food trucks and
drinks. Inside First City Pride
Center is the VIP area and
center tours featuring “This is
Trans” portrait gallery by Mx.
Vincent-Natasha (NV) Gay (on
display 6/24 - 7/22).
With legislation
across the United States at
tacking the queer community,
it is more important than ever
to come together as a commu
nity to be visible, resilient, and
show our existence can’t be
erased!
Come early to grab a drink and
get settled for an evening of
community, visibility and com
memoration of Stonewall and
the LGBTQIA+ Rights Move
ment.
Investment provided by the
City of Savannah
Sponsors:
Starship Sexual Health and
Wellness
More TBA
Sustainability Sponsors:
Brighter Day Natural Foods
Sentient Bean
First City Pride Cen
ter is an inclusive advocacy,
social, and service organiza
tion actively working to meet
the needs for safety, empow
erment, education, and well
being of Greater Savannah’s
LGBTQIA+ community. One
of only two LGBTQIA+ cen
ters in Georgia, First City Pride
Center is a trans-led and vol
unteer-driven registered 501(c)
(3) not for profit organization
serving the greater Savan
nah LGBTQIA+ community
and 12+ surrounding Georgia
counties.
For more information
visit www.firstcitypridecenter.
org/stonewall-2023
Union Mission Highlights
Client Transportation Needs
Through May’s National Bike
Safety Month - “Cycling
Because We Care”
Union Mission and
4 the Jewel N U Global will
highlight transportation needs
of the homeless communi
ty by hosting an event spon
sored by Bike Walk Savannah
and Thrivent Financial on
Thursday, May 18, 2023 from
8:30am - 2:00pm at Union
Mission’s Administrative Of
fice (125 Fahm Street).
The event is designed
to educate and empower the
homeless community by mak
ing bicycling a healthy, enjoy
able, useful part of their daily
lives. Give-aways include 4
men bicycles and appropriate
safety gear for those who at
tend. Participating community
partners include Thrivent Fi
nancial, Gen mobile, Georgia
Health Advisors, and CORE
(Community Organized Relief
Organization):
Thrivent Financial
will offer one virtual session to
review financial planning and
provide a road map to becom
ing financially stable and a pro
ductive member of society.
Gen Mobile will offer
government phones and tab
lets to include free unlimited
mobile data which will help
individuals with scheduling in
terviews, doctor appointments,
etc.
Georgia Health Ad
visors will advise on receiving
affordable health, life, Medi
care and dental insurance and
offer assistance on learning
how to maintain a healthier
lifestyle.
CORE will provide
COVID-19 vaccinations sup
ported by health outreach and
education as recommended by
the CDC (Centers for Disease
Control & Prevention). The
first 50 participants will also
receive a $50.00 gift card.
“Domestic violence
and unaffordable housing are
two major causes of home
lessness and partnerships in
our community are vital to
breaking this cycle” said Karen
Alston, National Domestic Vi
olence Certified Advocate and
Founder & Executive Director
of 4 the Jewel N U Global. “I
have been working with the
unaccompanied women who
reside at Parker’s House and
this particular event will turn
our attention to the men who
reside at Grace House.”
Union Mission’s
Grace House provides 32 beds
for men experiencing home
lessness as well as 28 transi
tional housing units for gradu
ates of the Emergency Housing
Program and 12 beds for previ
ously incarcerated individuals
to promote successful transi
tions to the community. Union
Mission provides basic human
needs such as housing, food
and clothing for up to 90-days
with the overall goal of helping
clients end their homelessness.
Union Mission offers an ar
ray of individualized services
to support stability and inde
pendence, including access to
mental healthcare, employment
support, specialized training,
transportation, and community
referrals.
Veterans,
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Don't ivait. Reach out.
Whatever you're going through,
you d'-oo't have to do it aiooe.
Firxl resources it VA.GOV/REACH
Zeta Chi Chi Nurs
ing Sorority, Incorporated cel
ebrates National Nurses Week
May 6-12, 2023. Zeta Chi Chi
Nursing Sorority, Incorporated
will salute nurses during this
week.
We are sending a spe
cial honor to the members of
our sorority. We embody all of
the specialties in the nursing
field. Zeta Chi Chi Nursing
Sorority, Incorporated mem
bers are nurses from ASN level
to DNP. We all have the basic
commonality of being a Pro
fessional Registered Nurse.
This is our foundation! Some
of us work at the bedside,
school nursing, nurse educa
tors, nursing research, nurse
practitioners, and some are re
tired. Nursing continues to be a
calling to serve.
Zeta Chi Chi Nursing
Sorority, Incorporated chal
lenges each nurse this week to
reflect on and embrace the rea
son that nursing was your cho
sen profession. We challenge
you to reignite the passion and
compassion needed to continue
to touch the lives that depend
on us to give them hope and
advocate on their behalf in a
changing healthcare environ
ment. Happy Nurses Week!
We will award nurs
ing scholarships on Saturday,
May 20,2023 to two deserving
nursing students at our Inaugu
ral Scholarship Brunch. Tickets
are still available at Eventbrite
or you can reach us at zetachi-
chil932@gmail.com.
Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society Celebrates 14th Annual
Night Of Champions
(L-R) Carson Fortner (emcee) Owner of Pooler Karate and Founder of Special Kicks,
Charlotte Quaile, Devente Sams, Erik Virgil, Wallace Ganser, and Javon Kelly
The Lowcountry
Down Syndrome Society cel
ebrated its 14th annual Night
of Champions Friday, present
ing awards honoring five out
standing employees and their
companies, as well as saluting
an elementary school principal
for his advocacy for differently
abled students.
The event was held
Friday, May 12, 2023, at the
Savannah Convention Center
on Hutchinson Island.
The Night of Cham
pions event recognizes area
businesses that employ differ
ently abled adults, including
those with Down syndrome,
and celebrates the contribu
tions made by these employ
ees.
“The Night of Cham
pions is the recognition for em
ployers but it is also a chance
for differently abled candidates
to show other potential em
ployers the difference people
with special needs can make
in the workplace,” said Joe
Marchese, president of LDSS.
“This night is a chance to first
get to know people with differ
ent abilities, and then come to
love them.”
The five honorees
and their employers are:
• Wallace Ganser, who works at
the McGraley Company. Wal
lace is credited with improving
the morale and enthusiasm of
the Team at McGraley. Like
many differently abled people,
his struggles aren’t immedi
ately apparent. He copes with
severe anxiety and depression,
and was diagnosed with au
tism as a 21-year-old. Holding
down a steady job used to be a
challenge for him, but working
with an employment specialist
and finding the right employer
made the difference.
• Javon Kelly, who has worked
at Leopold’s Ice Cream for
about six years. In his role as
sanitor, he is responsible for
keeping the facility sanitary,
and he also chips in and assists
his coworkers with other tasks
and even helps out in the role
of ambassador for the popular
Broughton Street ice cream
shop. His supervisors credit
his constant positive attitude
and enthusiastic work ethic for
earning him this honor.
• Charlotte Quaile, who this
year celebrates her 39th year
working at Goodwill of South
east Georgia. Charlotte, who
is blind, is described as one of
the most efficient and friendly
associates the organization has
and currently she is based at the
Eisenhower location. She came
to Goodwill in search of mean
ingful work and a place where
she could use her skills and
professional independence. In
her job as a production tech,
she helps sort, tag and hang
clothing that is donated to
Goodwill.
• Devente Sams, who works for
the Effingham County School
District. Devente was hired as
a substitute nutritional service
worker while attending Project
SEARCH. After excelling in
his internship and as a sub, he
was hired for a full-time posi
tion at Springfield Elementary
School. According to School
Nutrition Program Administra
tor Jessica O’Leary, Devente
has excellent attendance, been
very willing to learn, and par
ticipates in all aspects of the
job from cooking and cleaning
to serving on the line and ca
shiering.
• Erik Virgil, who works with
Goodwill of Southeast Geor
gia’s E-books Team. After Erik
suffered a spinal cord infection
that left him using a wheel
chair, he grew tired of being at
home. He knew that he had to
get back to work. He came to
Goodwill for work evaluation.
His performance in the logis
tics program proved he was
not only capable but excelled
at logistic work. Erik was hired
on the e-books team in 2016
as a media clerk, where he
processes donated books and
media that come to Goodwill.
Over the years, Erik has moved
his way up within his role and
plays a critical role for Good
will.
In addition to the five
employee/employer teams that
were recognized at the Night
of Champions, LDSS present
ed its 2023 President’s Award
to Mark Weese, a veteran ed
ucator who is now principal at
South Effingham Elementary
School.
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