MACON, Ga. — South Macon's Houston Avenue has some problems, and one man wants to make a dent in a basic human need: hunger.
Retired Army veteran Jimmy Coleman is forging ahead to help folks in that area.
"I'm going to start off with this small lot right here," said Jimmy Coleman. "I've always had plenty of food, I just don't know how America got this way."
He served America for 21 years, and then retired from the post office. Now, he wants to serve in a different way with a community garden full of foods like okra, squash and cucumbers.
He wants it to be a place where people can stop in and get a bag of free fruits and vegetables.
"A lot of people walk up and down this street right here hungry. I don't know if they're homeless and it's a sad situation," said Coleman.
It's a little over two miles to the closest major grocery store from the spot at 540 Rutherford Ave.
"We only have bus routes," said Deloris Timley.
She says transportation is a problem, but a garden right around the corner from where she lives would be something to look forward to.
"I think it is truly a blessing of the neighborhood and the community because this is a a low income area," she said.
Coleman isn't rich himself, but he's taking donations from folks that want to help. If the money doesn't come in, he's still planning to start planting in three weeks.
"I can't take any money with me when I leave this Earth, so I plan to put it back in the Earth," he said.
It would be a transformation of space in an area that's seen a lot of violence. If you would like to help, Coleman's daughter set up a GoFundMe page. Just click here.
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