Macon-Bibb one among several communities to receive almost $75M in food, health grant funding

February 25, 2022

Haley Janes,

(41NBC/WMGT) — Food banks, like many other facilities in the midst of the pandemic, have been stretched thin for resources due to the effects of COVID-19, and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) is looking to help solve that problem by providing almost $75 million in grants under the Federal CARES Act for the Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus program to different regions of Georgia, as well as support rural healthcare.

According to a release from DCA, this funding will help ten communities to partner with food banks, and one partner with a food pantry, in order to allow for the expansion of facilities to accommodate additional food storage, volunteer capacity, and shipments of items in and out of these facilities. These changes will allow the food banks to provide healthy food options to more individuals than before.

Macon-Bibb is one among the communities throughout Georgia to receive this funding, where the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank will be receiving support. These efforts also align with Governor Kemp’s proposal to help food banks by giving them more resources to purchase Georgia Grown fresh produce, and open the market for increased bartering.

Aside from this work with the food banks, the DCA also awarded almost $6 million to several communities in Georgia to provide enhancements to rural health department facilities, so that residents of rural areas will have better access to healthcare while the effects of the pandemic are still felt. Among those communities– Hancock, Jones, Twiggs, and Washington Counties will be receiving funding.

DCA Commissioner Christopher Nunn had this to say, in relation to this funding:

“The impacts of COVID-19 run wide and deep throughout the state of Georgia … The ability to partner with these communities to increase food security and access to quality health care options, using federal relief funds, will greatly enhance the quality of life for all Georgians.”