The Heart of the Matter

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In 1975, as states were mandated to better address the needs of people with disabilities, many created case management agencies and legal aid offices. A small group of people in Georgia chose to invest in citizen advocacy.

Citizen advocacy is built on one-to-one, freely given personal relationships between two people. One is a person with a disability who has often been excluded from typical community life, and the other is a person living an "ordinary" life from that same community.

The mission of the Georgia Advocacy Office focused on providing "protection of and advocacy for people being abused, neglected, or excluded because of disability." The Savannah branch was established in 1978, and Chatham-Savannah Citizen Advocacy became its own nonprofit in 1983.

In the decades since, the organization has grown - along with the number of matches that have been made among those living in the Low Country. Today, Chatham-Savannah Citizen Advocacy is recognized internationally as a leader in the principles and application of citizen advocacy.

Collaboratively written by Savannah's citizen advocates, The Heart of the Matter tells the story of Chatham-Savannah Citizen Advocacy and how it simultaneously recruits, matches, and offers support to local citizens while providing a successful blueprint for communities near and far.