On Tuesday, April 20, the Macon-Bibb County Commission unanimously agreed to buy the former Brookdale Elementary School property from the Bibb County Board of Education. The once vacant campus became the Brookdale Warming Center in January to  help those who needed a safe and warm place to stay after two men, who experienced homelessness, died in December.

In order to keep the Center running, the county decided to buy the property from the Board of Education for $1.5 million.

“I can think of no better way to spend $1.5 million,” said Mayor Lester Miller. “All I can tell you is there is 400 people who didn’t die in the cold because of the Warming Center.”

“And tonight, we get to make a very small investment, I might add, into alleviating the conditions of poverty in hundreds of families’ lives,” said Commissioner Seth Clark at Tuesday’s Commission meeting.

 The Commission also approved spending $100,000 of CARES Act money to pay for staff at the Center until a long-term plan is developed. 

The Center depends on volunteers and donations from the community. They are always accepting Visa gift cards, new pillows, water, men and women’s underwear, toilet paper, and snacks. To volunteer to help serve dinner, click here.