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CRISIS LINE & SAFE HOUSE of Central Georgia and community partners have begun the planning process for a Macon Family Justice Center. The center will help survivors of family violence and their families get the resources and support they need at one location — bringing together police officers, prosecutors, advocates, therapists, civil attorneys, community volunteers and many others. "We are thrilled that Macon has been chosen as one of the first sites for a Family Justice Center in Georgia along with Waycross and Marietta," said Sarah Schanck, site coordinator for the Macon Family Justice Center. "Thanks to a generous grant from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council of Georgia, we will be able to open a Family Justice Center and remove barriers and obstacles that a victim and their family may experience when seeking help. Having a Family Justice Center in Macon will transform individual lives as well as our community." The first Family Justice Center was created in in 2002 in San Diego, Calif. The model has since been identified as a best practice in the field of domestic violence intervention and prevention by the U.S. Department of Justice. Multiple agencies and offices in Macon have signed a memorandum of understanding to implement the planning process for the Family Justice Center, including Macon-Bibb County; the Bibb County Sheriff's Office; Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office; Office of the Solicitor-General; Crisis Line & Safe House of Central Georgia; Georgia Legal Services Program; Crescent House, Atrium Health Navicent; Central Georgia CASA; and Family Counseling Center of Central Georgia. To learn more about the planning for the Macon Family Justice Center, contact Schanck at 478-733-0439. LOCAL BUZZ LOCAL FOUNDATIONS AID MACON-BIBB IN CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING NewTown Macon and Historic Macon Foundation will increase affordable housing in Macon-Bibb County by building new rental units and renovating existing ones with investments from Macon-Bibb County's American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) and a matching grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Macon-Bibb's use of ARP funds is part of a more than $18 million plan to help the community, including creating affordable housing, addressing food deserts, attacking blight and more. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make transformational change in people's lives for years to come," said Mayor Lester Miller. "This is work that is going to lift our entire community." Knight's strategic investments in Macon-Bibb focus on supporting an inclusive downtown for all residents to live, work and connect with each other, which aligns with the priorities of the community-driven Macon Action Plan. The grants are for $1 million for NewTown Macon and $600,000 for Historic Macon. "Knight supports inclusive, equitable and engaged communities, so we are thrilled to invest in an initiative where neighborhood residents are so deeply involved in the creation of more affordable housing," said Lynn Murphey, Knight's Macon program director. NewTown Macon intends to use $2 million to help residents become entrepreneurs. They will help people renovate and rent blighted properties by training them to build and rehabilitate investment property in their neighborhoods. Historic Macon plans to use its $1.2 million to build 12 to 16 affordable rental units in the Beall's Hill community by spring 2022. "This is a pivotal moment in NewTown's history, to be able to transition from the central business district to the attached neighborhoods and be able to make a difference," said NewTown Macon President and CEO Josh Rogers . — EDNA RUIZ LOCAL BUZZ CRISIS LINE & SAFE HOUSE PLANS MACON FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER 24 maconmagazine.com | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021