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HOW TO HELP ORGANIZATIONS HELPING those living homeless can be contacted to find out specific ways to help. To be most effective, leaders suggest getting in touch with them to discover their immediate needs, which tend to change weekly. Still, each acknowledged monetary gifts are always needed and appreciated. RESCUE MISSION OF MIDDLE GEORGIA: 478.743.5445 rescuemissionga.com LOAVES & FISHES MINISTRY OF MACON: 478.741.1007 loavesandfishesministry.org MACON OUTREACH AT MULBERRY: 478.743.8026 maconoutreach.com/ministries THE SALVATION ARMY OF GREATER MACON: 478.746.8572 salvationarmygeorgia.org/ macon-georgia/ CHRIST CHURCH MACON WEEKEND LUNCH: 478.745.0427 christchurchmacon.com/ weekendlunch DAYBREAK DAY RESOURCE CENTER: 478.216.9119 depaulusa.org/locations/macon HOMEPORT MACON: 478.477.0170 homeportmaconga.org GENESIS JOY HOUSE: genesisjoyhouse.com FAMILY PROMISE OF GREATER HOUSTON COUNTY: 478.922.3195 familypromisehoustonco.org poor and homeless people in Middle Georgia has remained constant through the years, but how it happens has changed to comply with current health and safety concerns. Where people used to come in to meet up with acquaintances and volunteers while receiving help, now the prepared meals, food and goods are being temporarily "handed out the back door." Only a few services are inside and they require scheduling and special arrangements. "We still give as much love, nourishment and spiritual help as possible to bring hope and to help break the cycle of homelessness and poverty," Ferro said. "Some get things like help with prescriptions and bus passes along with food, breakfast and other meals. People line up outside where we've added porta-potties and places to wash up. But what you see is not only that people need help and are being helped but that other people are stepping up to help them." For years, a crucial service provided has been helping replace people's identification, birth certificates and paperwork lost due to homelessness. ey're items needed to gain benefits, jobs and move forward. Once more easily arranged indoors, it now requires scheduling and following strict health guides. MACON OUTREACH AT MULBERRY Macon Outreach started serving meals and meeting needs at Mulberry Street United Methodist Church in 1971. e work soon became a charitable cause embraced by additional churches, organizations and individuals through donations and volunteerism. It's a good example of the cooperative spirit that has only increased through the necessities of the coronavirus' shutdowns and impact. Robin Frischkorn, operations director, said there have been adjustments made as to the what, when and how things are done. Free lunches, the ministry's hallmark, continue weekdays except for Tuesdays but start earlier at 10:30 a.m. and run until noon. Instead of dining room seating with a strong social aspect, meals are served, as at other ministries, "out the back door." In 2019, Frischkorn said Macon Outreach served almost 40,000 weekday meals with 1,200 families receiving packages of groceries from the food pantry. Under previous conditions, Frischkorn said 200-plus lunches were served daily. Now, a high daily number is 140. She said she's not sure why the decrease but suspects it's due to the dining room being closed and social interactions limited. Breakfasts have temporarily ceased and the outreach's large, free, store-like clothes ministry continues but looks more like an "outdoor sidewalk sale." Grocery giveaways continue using altered methods. Volunteers are crucial to all such ministries and especially so at Macon Outreach, but Frischkorn said for health and safety reasons OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020 | maconmagazine.com 69