The Coastal Health District and Healthy Savannah invite breastfeeding moms and their supporters to a celebration of World Breastfeeding Week on August 1 in Savannah. The event will be held at the Pennsylvania Avenue Recreation Center (PARC) at 425 Pennsylvania Avenue on Saturday, August 1, from 10-11:30 a.m.
The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) has designated RISE as the theme for National Breastfeeding Month 2026 which is celebrated throughout the month of August. Each word in the acronym highlights key strengths of the breastfeeding advocacy network: Resilience emphasizes the perseverance of families and communities, Interdependence reflects the collaborative support systems, Self-Determination underscores the autonomy of parents in feeding decisions, and Empowerment celebrates the capacity to advocate for policy, systems, and environmental changes that support breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for most infants, but breastfeeding should be a shared responsibility and not an individual burden. That’s why organizations around the world celebrate Breastfeeding Awareness Week each year, recognizing that every mother deserves support systems and conditions that enable her choice to breastfeed.
Moms, children, family members and breastfeeding advocates are invited to the August 1stcelebration. There will be displays and giveaways from local partners, breastfeeding education, sign-ups for local nutrition assistance programs like WIC, a celebration walk, and more. The event is free, but space is limited so you must register in advance. More information about the event, about local breastfeeding services, and a registration link are available at coastalhealthdistrict.org/bfweek.
For more information on World Breastfeeding Week, please contact Healthy Savannah Breastfeeding Program Manager, Dr. Elsie Smalls, at elsie@healthysavannah.org, or Coastal Health District Breastfeeding Coordinator, Yolanda Jenkins, at yolanda.jenkins@dph.ga.gov.
ABOUT HEALTHY SAVANNAH
Healthy Savannah is a 501©(3) public charity and a public-private coalition of more than 200 businesses, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, schools, neighborhood organizations, and healthcare and government agencies. The organization leads and supports a culture of health in the Savannah area by:
Creating environments that make the healthy choice the easy choice
Building collaborative networks that identify and share resources
Collecting and disseminating data and best practices
Implementing innovative programs
Advocating for effective, evidence-based policies
Since its inception in 2007, this innovative, cross-sector collaboration has delivered lasting community benefits through numerous multi-agency projects, grants, and policy initiatives — including the Smoke Free Air Ordinance that continues to protect Savannah’s residents 15 years later.
Healthy Savannah was honored in 2026 with the Outstanding Partner Award from Georgia Southern University’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health and in 2022 with the CDC’s REACH Lark Galloway-Gilliam Award for Advancing Health Equity. Funded by the CDC’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Program, Healthy Savannah is working to support sustainable health equity for racial and ethnic minority populations in low-wealth neighborhoods, with a focus on nutrition, physical activity, and breastfeeding.
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