Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1492931
M ACON HAS SO MANY different, delicious restaurants that it can be difficult to choose what to eat on any given night, which, in a way, is a luxury. For many of our neighbors, it's not that simple. For some, the question isn't "which delicious meal should I choose to eat?" The question is "can I afford to eat?" According to the United Way of Central Georgia, 14.1% of people in Georgia are food insecure. That's over 1.5 million hungry Georgians, including one in five Georgia children. In Macon-Bibb County, the percentage is even higher. 21.8% of our neighbors are food insecure; 9,750 of those are children. In other words, nearly 10,000 children in Macon-Bibb don't know when and where their next meal will come from, and over 24,000 adults face the same difficult, daily choice: can I afford to eat? Fortunately, there are several county and community leaders committed to fixing this dire issue. A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO FOOD INSECURITY "This Mayor and the commission truly understand the interconnectedness of poverty, crime, hunger, the residual effects of red-lining and blight, and how addressing one is not enough," said Mayor Pro Tempore Seth Clark. "Since we've passed our homelessness and hunger initiatives, we've coupled those with increased funding to law enforcement, no-cost mental health clinics, we've funded an affordable housing trust fund at a higher rate than Atlanta, we've funded the Macon Violence Prevention program, and we've increased the capacity of the food bank." Last year, Macon-Bibb County allocated $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to address food insecurity and food deserts in our community. In March, nearly 20 local organizations, including local churches, The Mentor's Project of Bibb County, U Create Macon, Choosing a Quality Life (C-QUL), and Fathers Among Men, received a total of $500,000 in ARP money to help distribute food in different areas in the community. "We believe the impediment caused by residing in a food desert negatively impacts long-term mental health outcomes," said C-QUL Executive Director Andrea Cooke. "There is a direct connection between lack of access to good quality food and increased negative impact on the mind." C-QUL is a nonprofit organization aiming to eliminate barriers to effective mental health services. They received $35,225, which will be used to provide market services in both the Napier Heights and the Pleasant Hill communities. MIDDLE GEORGIA FOOD BANK PRESIDENT AND CEO KATHY MCCOLLUM 76 maconmagazine.com | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023