Tuesday, April 23, 2024
4/23/2024
The City of Savannah and a team of multisector partners will develop a Social Determinants of Health Accelerator Plan that will advocate for progress on the City’s redevelopment plan for the historic Water Works Pump House building located in Savannah, Georgia’s Canal District. Built Environment, Social Connectedness, and Food and Nutrition Security are the priority areas, as the project will encompass the conversion of a physical space, address food insecurity, and explore ways to forge connections between community members. The plan is to convert the Water Works building into an innovative food space that will include a year-round farmers’ market, food hall, commercial kitchen, and business incubator. The Accelerator Plan created by the City and the Leadership Team will lead to the launch of the Savannah Farm Fresh Initiative, a project that will demonstrate the ways in which the redevelopment plan for the Water Works will address healthy food production and distribution and will challenge the negative impacts of food apartheid plaguing the historically underserved Black American residents living on Savannah’s West Side. The Water Works building will be accessible to these neighborhoods and will provide a positive, social space the community to interact, purchase healthy food, and receive education related to healthy living and entrepreneurial opportunities. In addition to an implementation-ready accelerator plan, the project outcomes will be preservation and conversion of the Water Works building, which will increase the number of accessible places for people to purchase healthy food and increase occasions for community members to gather and attend family-friendly events. Changes to the built environment will also allow people living on the West Side to be better connected to other neighborhoods in the city, including the remainder of the Canal District and Downtown. Access to new physical spaces for food distribution will increase the number of people on Savannah’s West Side—a food apartheid area—who will purchase and consume healthy food. Community members will also be able to utilize and benefit from the available services, such as eating in the food hall, engaging with local vendors, and receiving training from courses offered by the business incubator. This project will have a meaningful impact on the health outcomes of a marginalized community.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
