Step Up Savannah Inc.

years
ty.

2015
Annual Report

2005 - 2015

Ten Years of Creating Opportunity

Step Up engages all sectors of the community to improve the economic
mobility and financial stability of families in Savannah and Chatham
County.

26%

of Savannahians live in poverty

33.4%

of Savannahs children live

58.8% of African Americans

live below poverty level in Savannah

in poverty

$23,475

Median annual earnings for

28.1% of Whites

live below poverty level in Savannah

workers in Savannah

$35,838

Median household income

9.6% of Hispanics

live below poverty level in Savannah

in Savannah

A Decade Of Stepping Up
As Step Up celebrates its 10th Anniversary of reducing poverty in Savannah, I am reminded that from the
very beginning we knew it would not be an easy or quick task. Savannahs poverty is multi-generational and the
barriers to reducing poverty are many. Step Ups approach has been a collaborative effort, bringing together
many partners in the process: business, government, community service agencies, churches, foundations
and neighborhoods. This partnership keeps us focused on poverty issues as we all chip away at the barriers:
education and training, healthcare, affordable housing, child and senior care, transportation and financial
literacy. Any one of these barriers has an impact on a persons ability to get out and stay out of poverty. Two or
more barriers can be overwhelming.
I am proud of the work that Step Up and its partners do every day to help individuals and families help
themselves and create a better future for them and for Savannah. I am thankful to live in a community that cares about others.
Jim Stevenson, Board Chairman
1 | Ten Years of Creating Opportunity

2015: A Year of Reflection

Savannah is one beautiful place to
live and in 2015 was ranked as the
most romantic city in the U.S. But we
have our share of prickly problems and
chief among them is a stubbornly high
rate of poverty.
Our citys 26 percent poverty rate
is one of the lingering effects of the
recession, making the year of Step Ups
10th anniversary a time of reflection rather than celebration.
We were charged from the start to not duplicate services and
Step Up has remained true to that vision. Youll read in this report
some impressive accomplishments by Step Up and its partners.
Additional highlights for 2015 include:
KK Our Bank On Savannah initiative held a June breakfast with
speaker Janet Gordon of the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corp., who presented findings from the national survey of
the unbanked and underbanked. We now have 10 Bank On
Savannah partners; in the last year BankSouth and First
Chatham have joined. With a 19.8% unbanked rate in
Savannah, we still have work to do.
KK We organized mobile Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Sites
at these employers: DIRTT, Derst Bakery, Westin Savannah
Harbor, Memorial Hospital and the Department of Family
and Children Services.
KK Through a grant from Gulfstream, weve provided 70
scholarships for General Education Diploma (GED) fees
for adults studying at Savannah Technical College over the
last year.
KK The Campaign for Healthy Kids & Families, which we
manage with the Chatham County Safety Net Planning
Council, has enrolled 1,283 children in public health
insurance programs since the start of the campaign. Our
enrollment assistance partners help families sign up online so
their children have access to quality healthcare.
KK Our Neighborhood Leadership Academy at Savannah
State University welcomed 19 new emerging leaders in
September, and well be offering the NLA mini-grants again.

KK Our partnership for public benefits has screened 1,162

individuals for public benefits at various community centers
and at worksites.
KK With Georgia Heritage Federal Credit Union and Consumer
Credit Counseling Service, we launched the new Life Line
Loan, a no-questions-asked small-dollar loan offered through
employers, which competes directly with car title loans. Small
and large employers have signed on and were ready to bring
on more.
KK With Savannah Graduates and the Workforce Action Team,
were producing an online directory of workforce training
programs.
KK Our VISTA Associates were dedicated to assisting in the
Healthy Kids Campaign, CAP, the VITA Coalition, and
have created a Step Up presence on social media. (Were still
providing VISTAs to partner organizations as well.)
KK Well end 2015 by hosting the Cities for Financial
Empowerment, a national network of creative municipal
leaders working to embed financial literacy into every
conceivable entry-point for their lower-income residents.
Fourteen cities will bring their top leaders and thinkers
to Savannah Dec. 1-3; the meeting is sponsored by the
FINRA Foundation.
Meanwhile, weve done this while launching Step Ups first
Annual Campaign, organizing our 10th Anniversary events, and
conducting strategic planning with input from our partners,
community leaders and the board. We are proud to share the
new mission statement that came out of this process: Step
Up engages all sectors of the community to improve the
economic mobility and financial stability of families in
Savannah and Chatham County.
We need to commit to creating the infrastructure of
opportunity that MDC President David Dodson talks about.
And we need to remain focused on policy and supporting strong
neighborhood-grounded voices to sustain efforts toward long-term
change.
Suzanne Donovan, Executive Director

Step Up Savannah | 2

A Year in Review June 2014 to June 2015

$10,308

in grants through the Savannah

Affordable Housing Fund, administered
by CHSA, Inc.

196
individuals went
through a poverty
simulation

5,617

individuals attended CCCS/

Step Up financial education
workshops, counseling
sessions, or public education
events regarding financial
literacy

20

individuals trained
in our Neighborhood
Leadership Academy

3 | Ten Years of Creating Opportunity

$213,114
in revolving loans through
the Savannah Affordable
Housing Fund

68

26 %
of S
ava
nn
live ahian
pov
s
b
ert elow
y le
vel

individuals volunteered
for a poverty
simulation

641
Bank On Savannah
accounts opened

110

adults trained through the

Chatham Apprentice
Program

12,103

individuals served
by the Step Up
collaborative

In Our Ten Years of Creating Opportunity

6,203

32,100

individuals participated
in financial education
sessions since 2009

736

24.1%

adults trained through

the Chatham Apprentice
Program (CAP) since
2006

3,584
individuals participated
in poverty simulations
since 2005

58 emerging leaders

trained through our

Neighborhood Leadership
Academy to sharpen their
skills to effect change in
their neighborhoods

Bank On Savannah
accounts have been
opened since 2009

$516,288

average wage
increase for CAP
participants
after graduation

In 2009, our Resident Team

successfully advocated for
a Chatham Area Transit
TRANSFER PASS, eliminating
full fare for every leg of a trip

70,414

individuals served by and

through Step Up and its
partners

to our non-profit partners

to build capacity or to
work on joint initiatives
Step Up Savannah | 4

Chatham Apprentice Program

It has been another active year for the Chatham Apprentice
Program (CAP). We hosted six E3 job-readiness classes at various
locations throughout the community, including Moses Jackson
Community Center, the Housing Authority of Savannah, West
Broad Street YMCA, the Coastal Georgia Center, Frank Callen Boys and Girls Club, and St. Marys Community Center. In
addition, we reached special populations by partnering with the
Coastal Workforce Investment Board and the Coastal Transitional
Center to hold a class specifically for returning citizens as well as
a partnership with Wesley Community Center for a class for single
parents. CAP provided childcare for participants through a generous grant from Zonta Club of Savannah Service Fund, Inc.
In the last year, 83 individuals completed the E3 program with
a 55.5 percent job placement rate and an average hourly pay of $9.
Our graduates secured employment with Chatham County, The
Flying Monk, NRS Warehousing and other local companies as well
as many of our partner agencies including the United Way, West
Broad Street YMCA, and Goodwill of the Coastal Empire.
In addition to our E3 job training class, CAP added two new
components: individual case management and hard-skills training.
Case management is for low-income individuals who are interested in a career change or advancement but are unable to attend
the E3 class due to schedule conflicts. Many clients are working,

but are motivated to make a change. They receive one-on-one

assistance, which includes resume review and revision, specific
job search guidance, interview techniques, and other job-readiness
counseling.
Our new hard skills training class was delivered by Savannah
Technical College, which provided forklift safety certification, in
addition to CAPs employability training. Thirty individuals went
through training at the Georgia Department of Labor. Over 40
percent of program graduates were placed in jobs with an average
pay rate of $10.16 an hour.

Life Line Loan Program

This year, Step Up and Consumer Credit Counseling Service
partnered with Georgia Heritage Federal Credit Union (GHFCU)
on a new employer-based loan program called the Life Line Loan.
This new product provides employees access to an affordable
small dollar loan ($300-$1500) through their employer to meet
emergency needs. The program is coupled with on-site financial
education which helps employees develop a better understanding
of how to manage credit and debt.
How it works: Employers sign an agreement with GHFCU
to offer the program to employees. Employees access the loan
through human resources staff, who verify the employee has
worked for the company for at least 6 months and is in good
standing. GHFCU then quickly processes the loan, which is repaid
through payroll deduction. Credit score is not a concern in loan
5 | Ten Years of Creating Opportunity

determination, though the employees ability to repay is assessed.

GHFCU reports loan payments to the credit bureaus to establish
a positive credit history, which works to improve the employees credit score. Once the loan is paid in full, the loan payment
amount continues to be withdrawn from payroll and deposited
into the employees savings account until they opt out. This feature
of the program allows employees to build up an emergency
savings fund after they have become accustomed to the payroll
deduction.
Five employers have signed on to participate thus far including
Chatham County, Chatham Area Transit, Goose Feathers Caf,
Hospice Savannah and Senior Citizens, Inc. In its first few months,
the program has helped 75 employees to access loans totaling over
$96,550.

2015 Board of Directors

Arthur Best, Workforce Development Director, EOA
Scott Center, President, National Office Systems Inc.
Curtis Victor Cooper, President, Cloverdale Neighborhood Assoc.
Tabatha Crawford Roberts, Right Track Consulting Services & NLA Graduate
Stephanie Cutter, City Manager, City of Savannah
Dr. Cheryl Davenport Dozier, DSW, President, Savannah State University
Earline Davis, Director, Housing Authority of Savannah
Bishop Willie Ferrell, Pastor, Royal Church of Christ
Erma Fulcher, Hudson Hill Neighborhood Assoc. & NLA Graduate
Alethea Frazier-Raynor, Director, African American Male Achievement
Holden Hayes, Regional President, South State Bank
Cathy Hill, Vice President, Georgia Power Coastal Region
Diane Jackson, Founder/Director, Young Men of Honor
Mayor Edna Jackson, City of Savannah
Dr. Otis Johnson, Former Mayor, City of Savannah
Betty Jones, President, Feilier Park Neighborhood Assoc., NLA Graduate
Dr. Thomas Lockamy, Superintendent, Savannah Chatham County Public Schools
Terry Lemmons, Director of Development, Optim Health
Betty Lloyd, West Savannah Neighborhood Assoc.
Patricia Lyons, President, Senior Citizens, Inc.
Frank Macgill, Attorney at Law, HunterMaclean
Maureen McFadden, Director, Department of Family & Children Services
John Neely, Principal/Savannah, Colliers International
Reverend James Nelson, Pastor, Holy Spirit Lutheran Church
Sister Pauline OBrien, Pastoral Assistant, Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Diane Pinckney, NLA Graduate
Pastor Samuel Rodriguez, First Hispanic Baptist Church
Chairman Al Scott, Chatham County Board of Commissioners
Pat Shay, President, Gunn Meyerhoff Shay
Jim Stevenson, Former VP of Marketing, Savannah Electric
Brent Stubbs, Dean of General Studies, Savannah Technical College
Trip Tollison, President and CEO, Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA)
Frances Tukes, Eastside Concerned Citizens & NLA Graduate
Gloria Williams, President, Cuyler Brownsville Neighborhood Assoc. & NLA Graduate
John Wills, President, Consumer Credit Counseling Service
Dr. Diane Weems, District Health Director, Coastal Health District

Step Up Savannah Staff

Suzanne Donovan, Executive Director
Kate Blair, Development & Communications Director
Talisha Crooks, CAP Coordinator
Isaac Felton, CAP Manager
Janeene Johnson, Office Administrator
Nate Saraceno, Support Staff
Robyn Wainner, Asset Building/
Financial Empowerment Director

We Love our AmeriCorps VISTAs

Janice Johannsen, Campaign for Healthy Kids
Ally Jones, Chatham Apprentice Program
CaTyra Polland, Wealth Building

A special thank you to

Thank you to our tenth anniversary sponsors

Memorial Health

Hussey Gay Bell

Step Up Savannah | 6

A special thank you to Step Ups 2015 major supporters

Bank of America Foundation
BB&T Bank
Carver State Bank
Charles A. Frueauff Foundation
Chatham County
City of Savannah
Colony Bank
James & Carol Fallon
FINRA Investor Education Foundation
First Citizens Bank
Georgia Power
Gulfstream Aerospace
Jeff & LeeAnn Kole
Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation Inc.

National League of Cities/Atlantic Philanthropies

Dr. Mickey & Dr. Kristin Ott
Sea Island Bank
Savannah Economic Development Authority
South State Bank
St. James Catholic Church
Jim & Janet Stevenson
SunTrust Bank
United Community Bank
United Way of the Coastal Empire
Wells Fargo Foundation
Dr. David & Dr. Diane Weems
Whole Foods, Inc.

Our founding partners

United Way
of the Coastal Empire

Step Up Savannah, Inc. | 428 Bull Street, Suite 208 | Savannah, GA 31401 | Phone: 912.232.6747 | Fax: 912.401.0341
www.stepupsavannah.org | facebook.com/stepup.support