At the Commission meeting on November 19, Mayor Lester Miller recommended and the Commission approved allocating millions of dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act funds to help support families in need, remove food desserts, reduce violent crime, improve public safety, and more.

“We are continuing to provide our community and families with the support and resources they to improve their lives and the lives of those around them,” says Mayor Miller. “This money is going toward programs and plans that are proving successful in truly helping people.”

Included in this round of funding was:

• $$$ for the UDA to incentivize brick-and mortar grocery stores to locate within food desert areas and help families have better access to healthy and affordable food;
• $500,000 for the Brookdale Resource Center to support people and families experiencing homelessness get access to needed services and find permanent housing;
• $1,000,000 for community violence interruption services as part of the nationally recognized Macon Violence Prevention program;
• $$$$ for a new ladder truck for the Fire Department to improve fire protection; and
• A one-time retention bonus for Macon-Bibb employees (see story below).

“There is transformational work going on at Brookdale thanks to our staff, our volunteers, and our supportive community, and these funds will help us continue getting people and families back on a firm footing when it comes to housing, social support, mental health services, and so much more,” says Alison Bender, Executive Director of the Brookdale Resource Center. “What we’ve been able to do is personalize resources and supports to each family’s specific needs, which is what they’ve needed all along…a helping and loving hand.”

“Food insecurity and food desserts is a national issue, impacting communities and cities across the country, but here in Macon-Bibb, we are going to take a purposeful and proactive approach to making sure people have access to affordable and healthy food,” says Urban Development Authority Executive Director Alex Morrison. “Our families can’t wait on the market to determine the viability and location of a true grocery store. We must take care of our own, and this money will get us moving down that path.”

“We have been able to truly support our entire community thanks to the American Rescue Plan, and that work will have a generational impact on so many families,” says Mayor Miller. “I want to thank our budget and grants team for being so diligent in understanding how these funds worked and identifying the best, most impactful ways in which it can be spent.”

Since receiving the ARPA funds beginning in 2021, Macon-Bibb County has been able to – among many other things – fund barrier-free access to mental health services all over the county, provided millions to build affordable and worlforce housing, helped expand free medical services in underserved neighborhoods, and more.