St. Mary’s Community Center is a community outreach initiative of St. Joseph’s/Candler and a living demonstration of its mission. The center serves the Cuyler-Brownsville neighborhood, a struggling African-American community with a rich history and strong community spirit. In Cuyler-Brownsville, the injustices of poverty–unemployment, illiteracy, lack of health care, substandard housing, drugs and crime–are prevalent.    The center strives to work alongside neighborhood residents to improve their quality of life through assistance in three major areas:

Basic Needs

·        Emergency Food Pantry

·        Nearly New Clothing Shop

·        Home Repairs with “Rebuilding Together”

·        Emotional Needs Support

Through education, encouragement, hope and empathy

Education/Job Training

·        Hospital Patient Transporter Professional Certificate Program

·        Professional Baking Certificate Program

·        Nursing Track Beginning Classes (CNA, PCT, LPN, MA)

·        Career Achievement

Building skills via an individualized computer tutorial

·        Computer Classes and Internet

For adults and children

·        Financial Literacy

·        Tax Preparation; VITA Site

Health Services

·        Daily Blood Pressure Checks

·        Daily Blood Sugar Screenings

·        Weekly Cardiovascular Clinic for High Blood Pressure

·        Quarterly Mammography Screenings

·        Quarterly Cervical Cancer Screenings

·        Weight Loss Program

·        Annual Prostate Screenings

·        Flu Vaccinations

COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS

Ours goals are to connect people with services and to collaborate with others to bring services into the neighborhood. To this end, St. Mary’s Community Center has many collaborative partners including:

·        AARP

·        Catholic Diocese of Savannah

·        Chatham County Health Department

·        Chatham Federal Credit Union

·        City of Savannah

Anti-Poverty Task Force, Project SAV, Annie E. Casey’s Foundation Initiative

·        Community Cardiovascular Center

·        Cuyler-Brownsville Resident Volunteers

·        Cuyler-Brownsville Neighborhood Association

·        Internal Revenue Service 

·        Mercy Housing

·        Publix Super Market

·        Rebuilding Together Program

·        Savannah Technical College

·        Sisters of Mercy Mission Fund

·        St. Joseph’s/Candler

·        St. Joseph’s/Candler Angels of Mercy Volunteers

Through tandem efforts with enthusiastic neighborhood volunteers and other collaborative partners, St. Mary's has become the central hub of the neighborhood, an essential catalyst to a renewed commitment of community passion, and an interactive partner in harvesting hopeful futures. For additional information, please call (912) 447-0578.