A week after two men froze to death, Macon opens warming shelter for homeless people
After the tragedy of two homeless men freezing to death on Christmas Day, Macon’s new mayor and several county departments and organizations are partnering to make sure no one is left in the cold.
Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller announced Monday the opening of the Brookdale Warming Center to ensure that families without adequate heat and homeless people have shelter and warmth during the coldest months.
“The challenges of poverty and homelessness, especially in the cold winter is not one that I want our community, or any community to have to face. Rather, I wish each person in our community had a safe, warm and comfortable place to stay. But, we all know that that’s not the case,” Miller said.
Manuel Foster, 63, and Larry Howard, 61, both died of hypothermia in Macon on Christmas Day. Foster tried to seek shelter under an Interstate-75 overpass while Howard was in an abandoned apartment.
Their deaths were met with many comments of disbelief and outrage on social media, and Miller mentioned their deaths in his inauguration speech Dec. 30 as being “wholly unacceptable.”
To prevent future tragedies, the elementary school was designed to house around 120-130 people while maintaining social distancing and COVID-19 guidelines, said Spencer Hawkins, Director of the Emergency Management Agency in Macon-Bibb County.
The elementary school will be a 24-hour shelter that will provide three meals per day from the Salvation Army. The facility will officially open to the public at noon Wednesday.
The living quarters are separated by adults and families. The county will perform background checks on people who enter the facility, but they will not turn anyone away, Hawkins said. Protocols are in place to house previous sex offenders and keep them separate from the other guests at the facility.
The cafeteria will double as an activity room where children can read, play games and do other activities that are planned for the day, Hawkins said.
Miller said county leaders expect the facility to be open around 60-90 days during the coldest months of the year. Although it is a temporary facility, Miller said the county will use this time to try and find a more permanent solution. Their goal is to work with community organizations to find people who might need to stay at the Brookdale Warming Center and schedule transportation for them.
They also plan to provide services, such as legal advice, drug addiction and mental health services, at the facility in order to take care of the “whole person,” Hawkins said.
How did this happen?
In January 2018, the Bibb County Board of Education voted to close Brookdale Elementary School and rebuild Riley Elementary School to house both of the school’s students. The new school was dedicated to late Rep. John Lewis, but the combination of the two schools left Brookdale Elementary empty.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the school district hasn’t been able to do anything with the building, and there are no long-term plans for it, said Sam Kitchens, executive director of capital programs at Bibb County Schools.
The vacant building became the perfect place to house Macon’s most vulnerable citizens during the coming cold months.
What still needs to be done?
Hawkins said the facility needs to fill eight volunteer positions to run properly, and they are working with the United Way of Central Georgia to fill those positions.
People can sign up to volunteer through www.unitedwaycg.org/volunteerunited or call the Salvation Army of Central Georgia at (478) 746-8572. Donate at www.unitedwaycg.org/covid19donate.
The Salvation Army needs gift cards to purchase supplies, and River Edge Behavioral Health also needs gift cards to purchase buy bus passes, medication and photo identification for people in need of services, according to a news release. Items, such as books, board games and puzzles, are also needed for the activity room. The gift cards and other donations can be delivered to the Bert Bivins Fire Station & Sheriff Precinct at 4036 Napier Avenue.
Miller called the community to action to help with this project and future projects to end homelessness in Macon.
“It’s our job. It’s our personal responsibility, not just elected officials or organizations, but you sitting at home, you that’s on Facebook every day talking about how somebody needs to do something for the homeless. You’re going to have your opportunity and I want you to step up to the plate. I hope you hear the call,” Miller said. “I charge you community. I charge you volunteer. I charge the church group. I charge all the organizations in this room to follow the Golden Rule. Treat others the way you would want them to treat you. We need your help.”
Who made this happen?
“This is the first step of a long process and to get so many people involved this early—you saw the list that we have—It’s very exciting and encouraging. I think it’s going to be rewarding in the end,” Miller said.
Turning the elementary school into a shelter for people in need happened due to the partnership between Macon-Bibb County and several organizations, including the Salvation Army of Central Georgia, the Bibb County School District, United Way of Central Georgia and the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, Miller said.
The organizations involved are listed below:
Salvation Army of Central Georgia
Bibb County School District
United Way of Central Georgia
Community Foundation of Central Georgia
Macon Coalition to End Homelessness
Daybreak
Mentors’ Project of Bibb County
Bibb County Sheriff’s Office
River Edge Behavioral Health
North Central Health District
Macon-Bibb County Health Department
Georgia Women (And Those Who Stand With Us)
Macon Periods Easier
Choosing a Quality Life
Macon Area Habitat for Humanity
American Red Cross of Central Georgia.
The Macon-Bibb County Departments involved with this effort include the Mayor’s Office, Emergency Management Agency, Fire Department, Public Works, Recreation, County Manager’s Office, Budget & Planning and Communications.
This story was originally published January 4, 2021 at 3:31 PM.