There’s never been a year like 2020. There’s never been a better time to say thank you
“How are you liking Georgia?”
I get this question at least once a week from friends and family. It’s got a complicated answer
I moved to Macon in late February, excited to start my new job as senior editor of the Telegraph, to learn a new community and explore the Peach State. Two weeks later, COVID-19 began to disrupt our lives in profound ways. Even in these extraordinary circumstances, I’m grateful for the people I’ve been able to interact with. Whether it’s the folks I’ve met while walking around my neighborhood, Middle Georgians I’ve rubbed virtual elbows with or the staff of downtown restaurants who offer a quick smile as I pick up food, I appreciate how welcoming everyone has been.
Now, nine months after I started, I wanted to highlight some of the great work we’ve been able to do at the Telegraph thanks to your support, ask for feedback on what we should focus on in 2021 and share an opportunity to join with us and the United Way in helping feed our community.
This year we’ve done some really important work covering everything from the impact of the pandemic to protests to elections across Middle Georgia. None of it would have been possible without your steadfast support. And many of you contributed to our fundraising campaigns through our partnership with the Local Media Foundation, with that money going directly to fund our community journalism.
Because of you, we were able to provide a perspective on COVID-19’s impact on Bibb County; to cover thousands of Middle Georgians as they marched through downtown Macon demanding justice and systemic change; to explain local mask mandates, shelter-in-place orders and school closures; and to keep you up to date on the latest developments in the lengthy presidential election and recount process.
For your support, encouragement and feedback, I thank you.
We’ll continue to need your support in 2021 as we report on the senate runoff election, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, a new Macon mayoral administration and so much more.
We also need your advice: what would you like to see us cover in 2021? What people should we talk to, what programs should we feature, what activity should we investigate? Share your thoughts here.
I’m also excited to let you know that we’re working with the United Way of Central Georgia over the holidays to help raise funds to combat food insecurity in our communities. Nonprofits estimated that roughly 17% of adults and 20% of children in Middle Georgia were at risk of skipping meals and going hungry. And that was before the pandemic. Today, a food giveaway creates a traffic jam in downtown Macon. The need is profound.
The United Way of Central Georgia provides funding for the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank and other nonprofits that feed residents. You can donate by clicking here and designating your donation to either a specific nonprofit or as “food.” Together we can make a real difference in the lives of our neighbors.
Nothing magical will happen on Jan. 1, 2021. Our problems, both coronavirus-related and others exacerbated by the pandemic, won’t disappear. But I do have hope for next year: that we’ll be able to put the worst behind us, work together to start grappling with issues in our community, have time to celebrate the wonderful things happening in Macon and across Middle Georgia, and that I’ll be able to meet more of you face-to-face.
Maybe even without a mask on.
This story was originally published December 18, 2020 at 11:13 AM.
