Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1543312
40 maconmagazine.com | February/March 2026 Prescription assistance is available on-site every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Once a person is deemed eligible, they can receive up to $250 per year for many ailments, except pain medications. Loaves and Fishes is currently not accepting clothing donations, but it does have some items available to aid those seeking work for job interviews. Bible study, which is not a requirement to receive help, is held every Thursday. According to Wright, Loaves and Fishes gets support in fulfilling its mission from sponsoring churches and many local organizations. The ministry also provides some assistance to Middle Georgia State University students suffering from food insecurity. A grocery distribution is available to help public school students who may lack food when school is not in session. Last year, 19,344 meals were served, and 3,000 families received a monthly bag of groceries. Gregory Lightfoot is one person grateful for the help he received several years ago. Lightfoot, now 64, became homeless after his release from incarceration. He had high praise for Wright. "I had nowhere to go. I met Ms. Jan, she helped me get my ID, birth certificate, and housing. She put me in the ABOVE AND LEFT The 5K event asked participants to reflect as they walked a route similar to those that impoverished and homeless individuals do to find services. BELOW The Loaves and Fishes team poses on Christmas Eve after serving a holiday meal. "We serve people to give them a second chance in life, especially for women and women with children." right direction," said Lightfoot, a Columbus native who still resides in Macon. He eventually got a job at IHOP and another restaurant and has been living in the same apartment for the past two years. A 15-member board of directors, comprised of business leaders, provides guidance and oversight to the organization. "I report directly to them," said Wright, who earned a master's in human services from Walden University and bachelor's and master's degrees in healthcare management from Capella University. Sometimes Loaves and Fishes gets help from unexpected sources. During the recent government shutdown, Macon-Bibb Mayor Lester Miller provided $15,000 to help with the food budget. Retired State Court Judge Bill Adams helped develop an organization called the Middle Georgia Access to Justice Council, which assists returning felons with legal services, intersecting with Loaves and Fishes. Loaves and Fishes wanted readers to know that the group has proven to be a responsible steward of the funds it receives from individual donations, sponsoring churches, and foundation and trust grants. Nearly three-fourths (73.8 percent) went directly to programs serving people in need, while slightly more than a quarter (26.2 percent) supported operations. The organization spent $267,644 in 2025 from a budget of $300,000. Soon after the spring equinox, Loaves and Fishes will hold "Take a Bite Out of Hunger," a sporting fundraiser event in April. Appropriately, the sport is pickleball, which will be spread over five locations, starting with River North Country Club on April 3. The other locations are John Drew Smith Tennis Center, Randy Stephens Tennis Center, Tattnall Pickleball Center, and First Presbyterian Day School. For more information on "Take a Bite Out of Hunger," call 478-718-1112 or email rdwalker@maconbibb.us. To contact Loaves and Fishes, call 478-741-1007. The organization also maintains a presence on Facebook and Instagram.