Macon Magazine

32 maconmagazine.com | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2023 C STORY BY CALLIE FLACK | PHOTO BY MARYANN BATES Conversations that inspire action ON THE TABLE 2023 onnecting the community; collecting the data Powerful community change begins when community members from varying backgrounds come together and have meaningful conversations. That is exactly what happens annually through On The Table, a program of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia (CFCG) in partnership with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Though all communities face challenges, we can tackle the big issues affecting our community through collaboration and communication. "On The Table provides a format for important community conversations to take place, which enables people to take action to improve their community," said Kathryn Dennis, president of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia. "In addition to these connections, we have also been collecting data from the participants. The feedback that comes out of these conversations provides valuable information about issues in our community. It also helps citizens and local leadership make decisions on how to solve these issues." 2023 Findings CFCG, in collaboration with Middle Georgia State University, recently released a report detailing key findings from a survey of participants in the On The Table 2023 conversations. The report, prepared by Dr. David Biek, dean of Middle Georgia State University's School of Education and Behavioral Sciences, shows that participants are overall more hopeful than worried about what the future holds for our community and that they believe quality of life has improved, compared to a year ago. In fact, survey results revealed that perceptions of many aspects of the community have improved with parks, trails and green spaces; cleanliness and blight; and arts and culture rounding out the top three aspects that have gotten better. Although optimism shines through in the responses, areas of concern do exist; the report also reveals priority issues that residents believe need addressing. The top five areas of concern (in descending order) include: Crime, violence, and public safety Housing issues, especially affordable housing and reducing homelessness Mental health/illness Poverty, economic security, and upward economic mobility Good paying jobs and economic development The report doesn't solely seek to identify issues of concern but takes it a step further by providing insight into some top paths to change. Citizens believe enhancing these five things offer a positive path forward for the region: Access to mental health resources Workforce training and financial education Access to affordable healthcare Access to healthy food Access to youth programming There is not a "quick fix" for these big issues, but CFCG is striving to help move To view the complete report of On The Table survey responses and see the full list of funded projects, visit cfcga.org/ott-2023. *The writer, Callie Flack, is professionally associated with CFCG. the needle by encouraging collaboration and helping residents understand they have the power to create change in their community. Mini-Grant program CFCG offers a Conversation to Action Mini-Grant program to encourage participants to take action on the ideas generated from their conversations and provides seed funding to support ideas developed during On The Table conversations. This year, CFCG awarded $24,500 in Conversation to Action Mini- Grants to help fund 25 projects that are addressing top issues facing the Central Georgia community. "Everyone may not be able to launch a new initiative, but everyone can play a role in making our community stronger, safer and more dynamic," said Dennis. "We want everyone to know that no action is too small to make our community a better place." LOCAL BUZZ The Web, a coworking space that fosters community, hosted a conversation about the benefits of coworking and opportunities for more engagement. New to Macon, Jennie Juechter, shared how welcoming Macon feels.

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