The April 3rd Transform Westside Summit was the first ever 100% virtual occurrence of the event which is usually held at The Gathering Spot in front of a live audience made up of hundreds of Westside community members and stakeholders. Following executive orders issued by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and later Governor Brian Kemp to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus, summit participants both practiced and preached social distancing as leaders of key institutions shared important information regarding the most recent updates from their respective organizations via video conference.

Makeda Johnson, Vine City Resident and Founder of Sister’s Action Team urges seniors and other vulnerable community members to practice social distancing.

Makeda Johnson, Vine City Resident and Founder of Sister’s Action Team, issued a public service announcement via a prerecorded video in which she pleaded with seniors and others who are most at risk to COVID-19 to stay home as much as possible and to wear masks whenever out in public. Johnson also urges seniors suffering from loneliness due to social distancing to call 888-524-7143 to speak to a Sister’s Action Team team member.

Top left to bottom right: Dr. Angela Coaxum-Young, Principal, Historic Booker T. Washington HS; Breanna Lathrop, Chief Operating Officer, Good Samaritan Health Center; John Ahmann, President & CEO, Westside Future Fund; Kyle Waide, President & CEO, Atlanta Community Food Bank.

John Ahmann, President & CEO of Westside Future Fund moderated the featured panel discussion which included: Dr. Angela Coaxum-Young, Principal, Historic Booker T. Washington HS; Breanna Lathrop, Chief Operating Officer, Good Samaritan Health Center; and Kyle Waide, President & CEO, Atlanta Community Food Bank. Craig Lucie, former news anchor at WSB-TV and owner of Lucie Content, fielded questions from online viewers during the Q&A segment following the panel discussion.

Good Samaritan Health Center encourages Westside residents in need of telemedicine to call the Coronavirus Hotline.

Breanna Lathrop, Chief Operating Officer of Good Samaritan Health Center, urged that Westside residents who lack either health insurance or a regular physician to call Good Sam’s Coronavirus Hotline at 404-523-6571 to receive telemedicine. Lathrop emphasized that one crucial benefit of telemedicine is that it eliminates the risk of exposure residents face when seeking medical care at any physical location. By providing care via phone to as many patients as possible, Good Sam is doing its part to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Click here to read more about the services Good Samaritan Health Center offers.

Atlanta Community Food Bank personnel provide fresh groceries to residents in need.

Kyle Waide, President & CEO of Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB) spoke on the incredible work the organization is doing to stand in the gap for residents who face food insecurity due to the COVID-19 state of emergency. Offering free fresh groceries to individuals and families in need, ACFB has provided meals to hundreds of Westside residents since the start of the current quarantine. To help put the minds of the public at ease about the prospect of food providers running empty, Waide states, “We have a very resilient food supply chain in our country.” He adds, “there should be, for sure, plenty of food for everybody.” Click here to learn more about Atlanta Community Food Bank’s efforts.

Dr. Angela Coaxum-Young, Principal of Booker T. Washington HS, addressed the various challenges of digital learning that students, parents, and educators continue to face with school campuses being closed for the remainder of the school year. In describing Atlanta Public Schools’ efforts to ensure students have the necessary tools to excel, Coaxum-Young acknowledged APS for providing “300 additional Chromebooks” which have been distributed to students who lack computers. Click here for the latest updates from Booker T. Washington HS.

Dr. Stephanie Miles-Richardson, Ph.D. Professor of Community Health & Preventive Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine also weighed in on the conversation via a prerecorded video. Sharing the ways Morehouse School of Medicine is helping to resolve the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Miles-Richardson says, “from the public health perspective, what we’re doing is information dissemination and aligning resources where we can with our partners.” She goes on to add that physicians from the prestigious institution are also serving as resident physicians at Grady Hospital while Morehouse Healthcare has ramped up its telemedicine services in the wake of the current pandemic. Click here to learn more about Morehouse Healthcare’s efforts to combat COVID-19.

Stephanie Miles-Richardson, D.V.M., Ph.D. Professor of Community Health & Preventive Medicine Morehouse School of Medicine joins the conversation at the April 3 Virtual Transform Westiside Summit.