Celebrating our 2022 accomplishments!

The Watcher

News from Georgia Watch

December 2022

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Happy Holidays from Georgia Watch!

As the holiday season unfolds, Georgia Watch has much to celebrate with you all. We proudly recognized our 20th year as the state’s leading consumer advocacy organization in 2022. Over our 20-year history, we have embraced the challenge of tackling a wide range of consumer issues and reaching Georgians statewide to ensure equitable access to opportunities and resources for all. We work tirelessly to uplift the voices of consumers where decisions are being made that impact your quality of life.

We are grateful for your dedication to helping us protect and inform consumers. Your support of our mission has enabled us to make a powerful difference in ensuring equity and justice for all Georgians for the past two decades. Our work to protect consumers from predatory lending, help people access affordable healthcare, keep utility bills low, and promote access to civil justice is key to creating thriving communities.

We pledge to remain the trusted and relentless advocate for all Georgia consumers. On behalf of the Georgia Watch team, we wish you a safe and joyful holiday season. We look forward to our continued partnership with you in 2023!

Liz Coyle

Executive Director

Our 2022 Accomplishments

With your support, Georgia Watch advanced equitable policies that support thriving communities for all Georgians, including:

Advocacy

Hosted the 2022 Financial Protection and Economic Opportunity Summit that brought together local, state, and national community leaders and partners to discuss policy solutions for issues surrounding wage garnishment and bank levy, predatory lending, medical debt, hospital closures and accountability, and assessing equity impact.
Released “Taking a Closer Look at the Equity Impacts of Legislation Pending in Georgia,” outlining the need for an equity impact tool (EIT), a process permitting a legislator to identify, assess, and communicate the potential impact—positive or negative—of proposed legislation on a particular demographic.
Updated “Helping Georgians Manage Garnishment Actions” to include changes made by the three main nationwide credit reporting agencies on how medical debt will be reported on credit reports.
Collaborated on the Community Benefit and Economic Stability project, which worked to address the impact of medical debt in Southwest Georgia, especially among communities of color, and uplifted how hospitals can prioritize the needs of the communities they serve through community health needs assessments (CHNAs).
Continue addressing racial disparities in barriers to healthcare services at the local health system level, particularly in Asian and Hispanic immigrant communities in the Buford Highway corridor.
Advocate for the protection of Georgians against predatory car title loans through the licensing and regulation of car title lenders under the state Department of Banking and Finance.

Direct Assistance and Education

Launched the comprehensive, web-based Guide to Advocacy and Resource Directory, a one-stop shop where advocates can learn more about the legislative process, effective communication with legislators, and resources in a variety of policy areas.
Directly assisted dozens of consumers who contacted us for advice on dealing with utility bills, predatory lending, medical billing, garnishment, and other quality of life challenges.
Reached more than 320 consumers and advocates through educational workshops, presentations, and webinars.
Conducted a three-part Civic Advocacy, Leadership, and Engagement training series with the Center for Black Women's Wellness (CBWW), equipping participants with advocacy and engagement tools and empowering them to champion improved maternal health outcomes with policymakers.
And much more!

Thanks with your support, we are proud of what we have achieved in 2022 and are eager to see what we can accomplish together in the next year. Ensuring equity and justice for all Georgians will remain our top priority.

Shana Risby joins Georgia Watch as

Outreach and Engagement Coordinator

Shana Risby joined Georgia Watch as the Outreach and Engagement Coordinator. As a Detroit native, she became civically grounded at a young age and nurtured a deep passion for storytelling and improving the quality of life in her community. Understanding that public communication is essential in tackling complex issues, Shana works to spark meaningful conversations and uplift the voices of underrepresented demographics in both digital and physical spaces.

In this role, Shana looks forward to expanding the reach and influence of the organization by developing innovative strategies to communicate with Georgia consumers. She aims to increase awareness of Georgia Watch’s work, strengthen organizational branding, and implement strategies to grow followers and engagement on social media platforms. Before joining the team, Shana worked in the financial industry, helping everyday consumers manage their money through informal marketing and communications campaigns. She is proficient in social media, which has helped her boost engagement analytics on multiple platforms for several small businesses by building brand awareness, educating audiences, and developing digital content.