Downtown Macon business owner, Loaves and Fishes discuss homelessness and solutions
A downtown business owner says he has seen an increase in incidents involving people experiencing homelessness as Loaves and Fishes calls for community collaboration.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A downtown Macon business owner says he has seen an increase in incidents involving people experiencing homelessness, while a local nonprofit says addressing the issue requires more than providing basic necessities.
Scott Mitchell, who owns Sweet Eleanor’s, the Bohemian Den and Gallery West, says he has recently seen situations where people have been accosted and chased at his businesses.
“Inside one of my businesses, it seems to be getting a little out of hand,” he said.
Mitchell says he wants to be part of finding solutions and believes the community first needs to acknowledge the issue.
“I want to be part of the solution, and so one thing that hasn’t happened is people aren’t talking about it,” Mitchell said. “And one of the first things that has to happen is we have to admit that it’s happening.”
Deborah McMillan, a board member with Loaves and Fishes Ministry of Middle Georgia, says people experiencing homelessness have different circumstances and may need different levels of support.
She says some people are already working toward stability, while others may need more intensive assistance.
“The problem is it’s gonna take a multi-process system to fix it,” McMillan said. “You can’t just give them a meal or help them have a shower. It’s gonna be a program or some assistance to get them kind of beyond the point they’re at, and you’ve got to get them to a point where they are willing to deal with that situation.”
Loaves and Fishes helps people experiencing poverty and homelessness connect with basic services and additional resources.
McMillan says the organization also needs funding to keep its doors open and staff available to work directly with clients.
She says addressing homelessness will require collaboration among local service providers, business owners and community leaders.
“It’s gonna take everybody coming together to find a solution,” McMillan said. “And so I hope during the next year I see a lot more meetings and a lot more collaborative efforts between business owners and between the liaison that Mayor Lester [Miller] has appointed.”
Mitchell says he does not believe criminalizing homelessness is the answer.
He says he wants to see solutions that consider the needs of businesses, customers and employees while also helping people experiencing homelessness.
“I’m going to continue to talk about it and continue to try to find some kind of solution that will help both the business owners, the customers, employees, and also the people who are experiencing homelessness,” Mitchell said.
Loaves and Fishes is also raising money and awareness through its “Walk A Mile in My Shoes” campaign.
McMillan and her husband, Doug, plan to walk more than 100 miles along the Camino de Santiago in Spain in October. The campaign also challenges community members to walk 40 miles and raise money for Loaves and Fishes.
