Tania June Sammons
Coming April 25, 2025
About the Book
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.
News • Reviews • Interviews
Tania June Sammons and Chatham-Savannah Citizen Advocacy Leadership, “Panel discussion about The Heart of the Matter: The Story of Chatham-Savannah Citizen Advocacy,” The Learning Center, May 1, 2025
About the Author
As a public historian and curator, Tania June Sammons tells stories about history, museums, material culture, and people.
Her work has been published by the University of Georgia Press, the University of Maryland, Lebanese American University, the Georgia Museum of Art, Institut du Monde Arabe, Telfair Museums, The Magazine Antiques, and Nineteenth Century Magazine.
She is the author of The Art of Kahlil Gibran at Telfair Museums, The Owens-Thomas House, The Story of Silver in Savannah, and The Andrew Low House (with Virginia Logan).
Her latest book, The Heart of the Matter: The Story of Chatham-Savannah Citizen Advocacy, references her work as a citizen advocate and board member of the Savannah-based nonprofit that recruits, matches, and offers support to local citizens.
Books by Tania June Sammons
