Athens – Digital Storytelling

Athens organizations combat food insecurity with healthier options

February 11, 2020February 11, 2020 Mary Margaret StewartAmeriCorps VISTA, Athens, Campus Kitchen at UGA, Food Aid, Food Bank, Food Insecurity, Health, poverty, UGA0 comment

ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY –– According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 34 percent of Athens-Clarke County residents are living in poverty, resulting in many families lacking access to nutritious and affordable food options. Living in poverty doesn’t imply food insecurity, though, as poverty is measured using an annual income threshold, whereas food insecurity is measured based on reliable access to food. While Athens-Clarke County has a poverty rate of over 30 percent, 22 percent of Athens residents are food insecure, according to 2019 County Health Rankings. Local food provision organizations such as Food2Kids,…

Community Health News Organizations

ACCPD works to improve mental health response procedures

May 17, 2019August 27, 2019 Amy ScottAdvantage Behavioral Health Systems, Athens, Athens-Clarke County Police Department, crisis intervention, Georgia, John Radford, Katie McFarland, mental health, Mental Illness, Robie Cochran, suicide prevention0 comment

Story written and produced by: Amy Scott, Alexandria Ellison and Ashlyn Webb ATHENS, Ga. — Athens-Clarke County Police linked approximately 140 citizens back to mental health resources in 2018, continuing their 2016 initiative to lower the incarceration rate of the mentally ill. This is due in part by the ACCPD’s 2016 mental health collaboration and Georgia’s Crisis Intervention Team training.The mental health collaboration is a partnership between ACCPD, the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office, Advantage Behavioral Health and UGA’s Fanning Institute. The collaboration was created to “examine policies, enhance interdepartmental communications,…

The Wesley Foundation Attracts Thousands of Students for Their Weekly Services

May 13, 2019May 14, 2019 Emma TolandAthens, UGA, UGA Students, University of Georgia0 comment

ATHENS, Ga. — The Wesley Foundation, the largest ministry on the University of Georgia’s campus, is attracting 1,200 to 2,000 students per week for their weekly Wednesday night service at Tate Grand Hall. For many, college is the first time students are away from friends and family, so they seek out communities that make them feel welcome. Wesley understands this desire for community and uses it to garner student involvement, according to their mission statement. “I did Freshley last year, but wasn’t super involved because I always had something going…

Experts: Five Minutes of Meditation Per Day Enough

December 5, 2018May 13, 2019 Donovan HarrisAthens, barre, meditation, mental health, Mental Health Awareness, Millennials, mindfulness, stress, therapy, yoga0 comment

ATHENS, Ga- Those who practice daily meditation say they reap the benefit of having fewer stressful days, even with just a couple of minutes of daily dedication. Becky Smith, the owner of Above Barre Athens, started incorporating a few minutes of meditation into the barre classes at her studios to help gym-goers de-stress. For about two to five minutes at the end of class, women are encouraged to meditate and clear their minds. “We have such busy lives. It’s just good to have those few moments to yourself,” Smith says. Above…

Uncategorized

Athens Farmers Market Helps Combat Local Food Desert

December 4, 2018May 13, 2019 Eleanor CashAthens, farmers market, local, sustainability0 comment

ATHENS, GA- Combatting the food desert in Athens has become a goal of the Athens Farmers Market, which has led to the establishment of two major programs to help curb the issue. The first program, Double SNAP, is an extension of the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program program which provides monthly supplements for qualifying members who purchase nutritious food. At the farmers market, the SNAP dollars are doubled, meaning that participants will receive double what they have spent on food in market tokens. The second program, the Fruit and Vegetable…

Community Health News Organizations Social Issue

Campus Kitchen Provides Thousands of Meals for Food Insecure Households

February 18, 2018December 7, 2018 Rachel GraceACCA, Athens, Athens Community Council on Aging, Campus Kitchen, Campus Kitchen at UGA, Food Insecurity, Hunger Relief, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, UGA, UGA Office of Service Learning, UGArden, University of Georgia, Volunteering0 comment

ATHENS, Ga. – Campus Kitchen at the University of Georgia distributed 25,000 pounds of food to food insecure households and food banks around Athens last year, according to the program’s website. The organization recovered more than 43,000 pounds of food from local grocery stores and gardens, such as UGArden, which they used to provide weekly nutritious meals for their clients and then redistributed unused food to related programs in the area. “Our model is built on creative food sourcing,” said Brad Turner, the program coordinator for the organization at UGA’s Office of Service…

Athens Tattoo Artist Makes Scars Disappear

February 9, 2018December 7, 2018 Caroline Elliot#scar, #scarcorrection, #skin, #tattoo, #tattoshop, Athens, UGA1 Comment

ATHENS, Ga. – Ron Hendon, a tattoo artist from Athens, Georgia, removed over 40,000 scars in almost 30 years using his artistic ability and decades of tattoo expertise for scar removal therapy. Hendon’s scar removal involves irritation of the scar tissue using tattoo needles. One of its aspects is paramedical micro-pigmentation, a method of cosmetically covering scars. Hendon developed these techniques by accident when a client came in with a large scar on her breast after a domestic dispute. “When the same client came in for a touch up of her floral tattoo,…

Athens Attempts to Increase Bicyclist and Pedestrian Safety

December 8, 2017December 7, 2018 Ryan SwindellAthens, Athens-Clarke County, bicyclist, bike, community, crash, cyclist, Georgia, government, pedestrian, safety, transportation, travel0 comment

ATHENS, Ga. – Athens-Clarke County is constructing a new bicycle and pedestrian master plan, Athens in Motion, with the intention of making the roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians. The plan rates roads on a level of comfort scale that ranges from one to five, with a score of one being the safest and five being the least safe for cyclists of varying skill levels. The ratings system is bolstered by Athens-Clarke County residents who point out problem areas for bicyclists and pedestrians on an interactive map provided by the…

Lil’ Ice Cream Dude Sweetens Athens

December 7, 2017December 7, 2018 Marielle WilliamsAthens, BrandBank, business, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Entrepreneur, Georgia, Greek Life, Ice Cream, Lil' Ice Cream Dude, UGA, UGA Football, UGA Miracle0 comment

Beau Shell, 13, owner and CEO of Lil’ Ice Cream Dude, from Athens, Georgia, poses in front of his popsicle truck in, Athens, Georgia, on Tuesday, September 19, 2017. Beau serves ice cream in his truck to the sweet-toothed community of Athens, Georgia. (Photo/Elizabeth Milano, eam60605@uga.edu) ATHENS, Ga. – Beau Shell, 13, better known as Lil’ Ice Cream Dude, has made a name for himself in the sweet and creamy business world as the youngest entrepreneur in Athens, Georgia. On his eighth birthday, Beau received a small makeshift ice cream…

Business Education Health

Athens Students Succumb to Social Anxiety Through Technology

December 7, 2017December 7, 2018 Alexa GilomenAddiction, Athens, college, Computer, Depression, Facebook, Generation Y, Instagram, Iphone, Mental Illness, Millennials, social media, students, Technology, Tumblr, Twitter, UGA, UGA Students, University, Youtube0 comment

ATHENS, Ga. — According to a short survey carried out by the authors of this article, students in Athens have fallen victim to the effects of social media, which have manifested through the emerging prevalence of technological dependency within the millennial generation. Out of 73 surveyed students at the University of Georgia, 90.41 percent of participants admitted to sleeping with their phone next to their bed. A staggering 76.71 percent felt that technology had taken hold of their lives. The above image depicts two pieces of data collected from 73…