Statistics from a 2023 report from the United States Department of Agriculture, states that 13.5% (18 mil) of Americans were food insecure. Food insecurity affects multiple families and communities who can not access the nutrients for themselves. Below is a list of local food banks that serves free meals with a heavy heart.
#1 Loaves & Fishes Ministry
On 651 Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, Loaves and Fishes is a non-profit community organization that focuses on the homeless, low- and moderate-income individuals and families. The organization’s primary goal is to address homelessness and low income individuals to provide access in order for them to strive to be self resilient.
Free of charge, LFM provides services such as groceries, meals and laundry. Before visiting please call 478-741-1007.
The schedule, listed on their website, is as follows:
Breakfast: Tuesdays 9-9:30 a.m.
Lunch: Tuesdays 12-12:30 p.m.
Meals: Monday-Thursday 3-3:30 p.m.
Showers: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday’s 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Laundry: Thursday 9 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
#2 Middle Georgia Community Food Bank
The Middle Georgia Community Food Bank was founded by Rev. Ben Fore in 1981 after he visited an Outreach Program in Atlanta. Inspired, he opened the food bank in the basement of the building and slowly it began to grow. In reports, MGCFBand their patterns have a record of distributing “12 million pounds of food” and providing “10 million meals” to individuals in need.
Located on their website, you can search for your local food pantry in the middle Georgia area. These pantries provide emergency groceries and hot meals, but please be sure to call and/or check hours before visiting.
They have distributed their services to 24 counties in Georgia along with three projects. First, the Backpack Program , which serves 3,500 children in low income families with a bag filled with nutrients each Friday during the school year, including breaks.
Second, the Mobile Food Pantry serves an estimate of 5,000 families every month. The report states that in 2020, about eight million pounds of food was distributed among 24 counties.
Third, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Outreach assists in anyone that’s eligible for the program. The community food bank helped about 500 individuals apply and earn benefits. If you want to know if you’re eligible or needing assistance, please contact [email protected] or 478-342-3218.
#3 Macon Outreach
Since 1971, Macon Outreach at Mulberry has worked with nearby churches and offers volunteers the opportunity to assist the needs of people in poverty in the Central Georgia area. Since 2017, they have served an estimated 56,000 meals, given 7,000 individuals emergency groceries and more than 1,000 families retrieved clothing.
Macon Outreach has an organized food drive separated by canned goods and meats, dry foods and extra supplies needed.
Below is the schedule listed as follows:
Monday: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Tuesday: 9 – 11 a.m.
Wednesday: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Thursday: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
#4 Daybreak Day Resource Center
Located on 174 Walnut St., Macon GA.DePaul Daybreak Day Resource Center is a service center that helps individuals in need of assistance. Some of those services include housing placement, meals, laundry facilities, showers, case management (counseling and service agencies) , free health clinic, access to technology, transportation and enrichment classes ( job prep and academic classes).
Please call 478-216-9119 or email [email protected] if you want any more information about this organization.
Weekly hours are listed as followed:
Monday: 7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Tuesday: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Wednesday: 7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Thursday: 7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
