Macon nonprofit that supports the underserved needs a pickup of its own

A Macon agency that helps the homeless and poor could be forced to trim some of its services because of the recent loss of a key grant and other federal funding cuts.

Loaves & Fishes Ministry, which has helped out people in need for about 50 years, has struggled as fewer federal grants have been available in recent years. Usually by the spring -- a few months away from the start of a new fiscal year -- Loaves & Fishes is in a financial pinch. But this year is worse than most, said Judy Sexton, director of the Loaves & Fishes Day Service Center at 651 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

The agency recently missed a deadline to apply for a $22,500 grant that would have helped cover the costs getting people state identification cards, driver's licenses and prescription medications.

That funding is what allows the ministry to get IDs and driver's licenses for 10 people a week, and typically the line has twice that number of people looking for help with those services. Additionally, about four years ago, some federal money dried up for day service centers such as Loaves & Fishes that don't have vehicles to take the services to needy people in neighborhoods, Sexton said.

"That's the hardest part, because those are some of the grants we got at the federal level that are no longer available," Sexton said. "I've heard it said many times that we are the best-kept secret in Macon. But nobody knows us. We have been quietly servicing our clients."

The agency, which was started by a group of Episcopalian and Presbyterian churches, also provides groceries to 60 households weekly. The day service center also offers people a chance to do their laundry, take showers, pick up snacks and get clothes.

Another program undergoing changes is Loaves & Fishes' transitional housing for the homeless. Because of a reprioritization by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development of which types of housing receive federal grant funding, the ministry's board of directors is having to weigh other options. They'll have to make a decision about who can live in the homes in order to receive more grant funding, said Sarah Tapley, who handles grant administration and bookkeeping for Loaves & Fishes.

The agency's 11 residences, which can house up to 75 people, offer people a place to stay for six to 18 months with the goal of helping them find somewhere to live long-term. The program has been funded through a nearly $100,000 HUD grant.

"The program participants would sit down with a case manager, who would help them discover what problems got them in that circumstance," Tapley said. "The program gave them a stable time to address the problems, maybe go back to school and gain employment so they could move into permanent housing."

AGENCY SEEKS AID FROM MACON-BIBB

To help cover costs to continue offering assistance for identification cards and some prescription medications, Loaves & Fishes has sought some additional money from Macon-Bibb County. That plea has caught the attention of county commissioners such as like Elaine Lucas and Virgil Watkins, who both say that Macon-Bibb needs to find a way to give some money to the organization.

Lucas said county officials likely will discuss Tuesday whether there are other possible grants the agency could apply for through the Macon-Bibb County Economic and Community Development Department.

There's also the option of the county finding other money to supplement the loss of grant money, she said.

"There have been so many agencies that we've assisted in emergency circumstances," Lucas said. "We certainly don't want to lose an agency like Loaves & Fishes and want to do what we can to help."

Sexton said the organization is grateful that county leaders are looking into helping the ministry. The ministry is funded by area churches, some private foundations, grants and donations.

"We really need more donations from the community," Sexton said.

The organization also works with a program that pays people 55 and older to earn money by working for Loaves & Fishes. The center also allows people who recently have been released from jail or prison to help out.

"Some have been in prison for a number of years, and they say coming here and being part of a team helps them transition into the community," Sexton said.

One of those people is Bertram Banks, who said he feels that being at Loaves & Fishes allows him to give back to the community. Recently, Banks and two others sorted 2,000 canned and boxed goods raised in a food drive led by Burdell-Hunt Elementary School.

"It gives you a purpose to wake up in the morning and do something," Banks said.

To contact writer Stanley Dunlap, call 744-4623 or find him on Twitter@stan_telegraph.

This story was originally published April 10, 2016 at 7:27 PM with the headline "Macon nonprofit that supports the underserved needs a pickup of its own ."