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SAVANNAH, Ga. - GeorgiaChron -- SAVANNAH, GA) On any given day, more than a hundred coastal residents will walk through the doors of one of Gateway Community Service Board's facilities serving eight coastal Georgia counties from Chatham to Camden. The community-based organization provides services for children, youth, adults, and families with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and/or substance use disorders.

"Our mission is to provide comprehensive services for clients, which includes ensuring they feel comfortable and safe while here," said Leigh Ann Kittle. "One way we do that is by providing a dedicated and safe space for breastfeeding and pumping."

Kittle says the organization offers lactation rooms in four Chatham County facilities plus several in other locations throughout the region.

"Breastfeeding is considered an important act of nurture that should be encouraged for the health of both the mother and child," said Dr. Elsie Smalls, Healthy Savannah's REACH Team Breastfeeding program manager. "This is why we are launching a new campaign called 'Breastfeeding Welcome Here' to recognize organizations that provide dedicated lactation spaces and to encourage others to offer them to their employees and guests."

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The program is funded by a CDC Racial & Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant administered by Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia since 2023.

Healthy Savannah is providing door decals along with certificates of recognition to local organizations that currently comply with Georgia's breastfeeding legislation to celebrate their commitment but also to promote the ease and benefits of adopting breastfeeding-friendly policies. The materials are available in English and Spanish, with the certificates suitable for framing and displaying in public spaces such as employee break rooms and visitor waiting rooms.

"We are sure there may be other employers in Savannah and Chatham County that offer supportive breastfeeding-friendly environments and accommodation for employees and guests, and we would love to hear from you so that we can add your organization's name to our recognition database," said Smalls.

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Healthy Savannah has a campaign goal of announcing a significant increase in local businesses that have adopted breastfeeding-friendly policies in time for National Breastfeeding Month, to be observed in August.

To recognize a business or nonprofit as a breastfeeding-friendly space or workplace, email Healthy Savannah's Breastfeeding strategy manager, Dr. Elsie Smalls, at elsie@healthysavannah.org. For more information, or to participate in Healthy Savannah's Breastfeeding Landscape Evaluation Survey, visit https://healthysavannah.org/our-programs/breastfeeding/

Media Contact
Marjorie Young
marjorie@carriagetradepr.com
912-844-9990


Source: Carriage Trade Public Relations
Filed Under: Health, Savannah

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