St. Mary’s Community Center: A mission in action
St. Mary’s Community Center is a dynamic outreach initiative of St. Joseph’s/Candler, dedicated to serving and empowering the residents of Savannah’s historic Cuyler-Brownsville neighborhood. This community, rooted in rich African-American heritage and resilience, faces ongoing challenges related to unemployment, limited healthcare, and housing instability. Through resources and concrete action, St. Mary’s works to uplift lives and create meaningful change—one service at a time.
As a trusted community resource center, St. Mary’s offers free, accessible programs that promote financial literacy, education, personal agency, and lifelong empowerment. Whether you're seeking employment assistance, help filing taxes, access to public benefits or a safe space to get connected, we have something for everyone. Our goal is to help individuals and families build a better life through opportunity and support. Accessibility and cost should never be a barrier for our community members to get the tools they need to build their life on their terms. Here’s a look at the no-cost services available to our community.
Comprehensive services for the community
St. Mary’s offers services to support individuals and families facing economic hardship.
Workforce development
Helping job seekers become job-ready, our workforce services provide:
- Resume and cover letter support
- Job searches and online applications
- Interview preparation and job readiness training
- Access to employment workshops and job fairs
- Email setup and account recovery assistance
Free tax assistance (January–February)
In addition to seasonal tax preparation, the Center trains community volunteers who become IRS-certified to prepare basic tax returns at no cost. This allows our neighbors to receive their full refund without paying a tax preparer.
- Tax prep services are offered weekly and on Saturdays during tax season
- Call ahead for current service hours
Vision services with exams & glasses
Affordable vision care is available for those in need:
- Eyeglasses starting at $30 through Prevent Blindness Georgia (with prescription)
- Free eye exams for uninsured patients (waitlist through St. Mary’s Community Center)
- Those with insurance should contact their provider for in-network eye doctors.
Public benefits assistance
Our staff processes over 3,000 applications annually for public benefits. We help with:
- SNAP (formerly food stamps)
- Medicaid and Medicare (children and adults)
- Pregnancy Medicaid
- Medicaid denial letters for Medbank
Public benefit hours:
Monday – Friday: 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. and Monday – Thursday: 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Office services at no cost to you
We provide free copies, faxes, scanning and free notary public services.
Need to get online? Use our computer lab for job searches, school, or benefits access.
Computer Lab Hours:
Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Monday – Thursday: 1:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
A simple gift of nourishment
Every Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., stop by for free bread and sweets generously donated by Publix. Supplies are limited and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Get connected with St. Mary’s
At St. Mary’s, we are more than a community center—we are neighbors helping neighbors thrive. Come visit us to see how our resources can better serve you and your loved ones.
Location: 812 W. 36th Street Savannah, GA 31415
Hours of Operation:
Monday – Thursday: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Closed Noon – 1:00 p.m. for lunch)
Friday: 8:30 a.m. – Noon
Phone: 912-447-0578
Let St. Mary’s Community Center be your partner in progress—where service and dignity make hope come alive.