Macon Homeless Donation Meter Locations Announced

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Plans to install homeless donation meters in Macon are getting off the ground. On Tuesday, the Macon Leadership class announced the nine places they will be located downtown.

You won’t see these donation stations popping up around downtown until the end of the month.

“The company who makes the donation stations will be here October 30th to begin installation,” Mechel McKinley said.

McKinley and members of the Macon Leadership Class of 2012 have been working with the city to install nine meters in popular areas downtown like on Poplar Street, by Macon City Hall and at Third Street Park. McKinley says putting the stations in prime spots near restaurants and businesses will hopefully draw people in to donate to a good cause.

“We’re all naturally good people,” she said. “We want to help and it gives people an alternative way to give where you know what your giving is going to an organization that is really providing good services.”

The money raised will go towards the Macon Coalition to End Homelessness. This organization provides services like food, helps with medical expenses and offers job training to help with help with the city’s growing poverty problem.

“When you have something like these donation stations in place it keeps that issue in the fore front of the community so that we can work on solving the that problem,” City Councilwoman Lauren Benedict said.

Some residents hope the community will step up to the challenge, while others say times are tough and dollars are stretched thin.

“We need to help more of our own human beings in the country and our fellow citizens,” Gene Laury said.

“The way the economy is going, some people may put money in, some people might not,” Robert Williams said.

The donations stations will be installed by the end of the month. McKinley says the meters will start accepting donations on November 15th.