Greenbriar Children’s Center, a non-profit organization serving children and families in Savannah for over 71 years, held its Annual Meeting virtually on Wednesday, February 24, 2021.  Mayor Van R. Johnson II provided the introductory remarks. 

Mrs. Juanita Adams, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Greenbriar opened the meeting. “As President of the Greenbriar Board of Directors, I am so grateful for the expertise, dedication and support we continue to receive from our board members. We have a very ambitious agenda ahead of us and we eagerly look forward to enjoying the loyal support of our stakeholders, partners, contributors and volunteers to help us ensure stability in the lives of the children and families we serve.”   

Mrs. Adams then introduced Gena P. Taylor, Greenbriar’s Executive Director.  “Life was different in 2020 “, noted Miss Taylor. “We had to adapt and make changes. We had to meet parents at the doors of our early learning centers to keep children, families and staff safe. Our Family Preservation meetings and counseling sessions had to be conducted with our clients outdoors in parks and on porches…rain or shine, with masks on. Our shelter children and staff had to be especially vigilant about masking up and disinfecting. We even hired three senior staff members in 2020…completely by Zoom!” 

Miss Taylor then noted that some things remained unchanged…caring for children in Greenbriar’s emergency shelter for youth ages 11 through 18 and the continuation of the Family Preservation and Support program, both of which remained open throughout all of 2020. She also noted that both early learning centers had to close briefly in the Spring of 2020 due to state orders regarding Covid-19 but reopened shortly thereafter. 

Miss Taylor then went on to announce the award recipients for calendar year 2020:

2020 Media Partner of the Year: WTOC

2020 Corporate Partner of the Year: Coastal States Bank

2020 Community Partner (s) of the Year:

Marc Dunston/Live Your Purest Life

Top Ladies of Distinction/Top Teens of America (TLOD/TTA ) Savannah Chapter

2020 Community Advocate(s) of the Year:

Mrs. Yahayra Torres

Mrs. Vanessa Smalls-Taylor

“We were so thankful to have such wonderful community partners who helped us this year.  We are especially grateful to Coastal States Bank for their essential financial assistance during the pandemic, and to Marc Dunston & Live Your Purest Life, who provided us with essential PPE’s when we could not find adequate supplies”, added Miss Taylor.