The City of Douglas will be doing its part to make the holiday season special for residents of Georgia’s hospitals serving persons with developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs.
For 56 years, cities across Georgia have brought the joy of the holiday season to patients at Georgia’s seven regional behavioral health hospitals through the Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade.
The program, begun by the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) in cooperation with Governor Ernest Vandiver, relies on citizen participation in each city to donate gifts for the patients, many of who would not receive gifts or be recognized without the Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade.
According to hospital staff, many of the patients at these hospitals have lived there most of their lives and have little, if any, support or contact with friends and family.
Donated items from the City of Douglas will be delivered to Georgia Regional Hospital in Savannah on December 2, 2015. Civic organizations, businesses, churches, schools, scout troops and individual citizens are encouraged to help with the collection of gifts for the Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade.
For more information on how groups can participate, please call Kristi L. Morgan at (912) 389-3401.
Based in Atlanta, GMA is a voluntary, non-profit organization that provides legislative advocacy, educational, employee benefit and technical consulting services to its 512 member cities.
