Local churches, agencies feed, test Macon-Bibb residents

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Macon-Bibb residents are getting much-needed resources during the month of May.

During the month of May, a collaboration between five churches, the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank and the Central Georgia COVID-19 Response & Recovery Fund will feed those in need and conduct COVID-19 tests.

Each of the five locations, which are located below, will have about 500 five-day supply boxes of food.

Jason McClendon, Senior Pastor of Community Church of God, explains his church will continue the effort and give away more than 17 pounds of food this week.

“Every two weeks, we plan on giving away over 1,000 meals to the community,” McClendon said.

McClendon says residents don’t have to show any documentation. 

“They don’t event require Macon-Bibb to show any type of I.D., no social, we don’t even need to know how much income you make,” he explained.

Volunteer Mya Dillard-Smith says according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 80% of all individuals hospitalized for COVID-19 are African American, which is why testing in the area is so essential.

“500 tests and over the course of the next week we’ll provide 2,000 tests free of charge to the public,” Dillard-Smith said.

Dillard-Smith says the goal is to provide resources to a community that needs it most. 

“And certainly in under resourced communities that are largely African American, immigrant, low income, they desperately need the resources,” Dillard-Smith said.

McClendon says the church will continue to provide free testing every Saturday in May.

Those who were tested Saturday should receive their results within 72 hours.

Participating Churches:

Bibb Mount Zion Baptist Church: 3 Bibb Mount Zion Baptist Church, 268 Avondale Mill Road

World Changers Church: World Changers Church, 630 Wimbish Road

Community Church of God: Community Church of God, 5555 Bethesda Avenue

The Healing Experience Ministries: Central High School, 2155 Napier Avenue

A Kingdom Life; Shurling Plaza, 1701 Shurling Drive