​The national office of The Links, Incorporated, designated its Savannah (GA) Chapter, a 2020 Best Practices Chapter. The recognition was earned for its HIV/AIDs Prep and Stigma Program which was presented as part of the 2018- 2020 program reporting. The Chapter was notified of the recognition by Pamela Freeman Fobbs, JD, National Director for Programs.

The grant award which was made possible through the Southern Area of The Links, Incorporated, Health and Human Services in partnership with Gilead Sciences, Inc. As a grant recipient, the program included a partnership with Savannah State University’s counseling program and the Coastal Health District. Jacqueline Awe, Director of Student Development at Savannah State University, welcomed the opportunity to educate students about prevention, and the need for testing.
​
The program included speakers, panels, art contest and the training of student ambassadors. The chapter was able to engage a national speaker, William Brawner as well as a viewing of his award winning documentary film “25 to Life." In order to sustain the program after the grant, student ambassadors were recruited and trained. Part of the grant funds were used to install additional condom boxes at various locations on campus. The student ambassadors were able to publish testing dates when the Coastal Health District would be on campus providing free HIV testing clinics. The other program components which contributed to earning the Best Practice Award included a radio broadcast in which Grayzel Ellison, chairperson of the Chapter’s Health and Human Services Facet interviewed Dr. Debbie P. Hagins, Medical Director of the Costal CARE Centers in Southeast GA. The Chapter held a digital art competition and the purpose was to use art to diminish the negative stereotyping of persons who have tested positive for HIV.



​

The New Beginning Art Exhibition celebrated 19 years in the visual arts competition in a partnership between the Savannah (GA) Chapter, The Links, Incorporated, the Savannah Black Heritage Festival, the City of Savannah and the Savannah Chatham Public School System. The chapter applauds the art teachers in the school district who led students in the design and execution of art work as their contribution to the success of New Beginning.

New Beginning was held Thursday, February 20, 2020, in the Ben Tucker Theater in the Savannah Cultural Arts Center. Savannah Mayor Van R. Johnson, II, was on hand to congratulate the students, teachers and parents for their hard work and dedication to the creative success of this juried competition.  Links chapter President Angela Young presented the awards. The jury panel was made up of art educators and professional artists from throughout the Savannah area.  

​International Trends and Services facet chair Dionne Hoskins-Brown led the F.A.-Me (Fabulous Active Me) program participants through an activity to learn some of the principals of economic sustainability and entrepreneurship. The activity launched a lesson in how to create content for sales. In this case, the middle school girls learned how to make corsages that will be sold at the Savannah Black Heritage Festival in February. They learned step by step how to make the colorful corsages with a white pearl center. The facilitator used a "cricut" machine ( which looks similar to a printer) that cut various sized circles for sewing them in a manner to form petals. The students learned how to thread a needle and knot a very long thread for tacking (sewing) the circles and pearl in the right form. Pointers for entrepreneurship were given throughout the lesson.         (10/24/2019)