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'People are able to take what they need': Macon church fights food insecurity with community fridge

The Macon Community Fridge is at Steward AME Chapel Church on Forsyth Street.

MACON, Ga. — There's now a new resource for those who are hungry in Central Georgia.

It's an idea started by three people with one goal -- fighting food insecurity.

The new fridge is at Steward AME Chapel Church. 

The Macon Community Fridge is open to everyone and it's open 24/7. The creators of the fridge say making this possible was truly a community effort.

"Can you imagine having a fridge with food, and you can come by at any given time? I mean that's a blessing in itself," Pastor Levorona Franklin said. 

The church has been providing the community with hot meals every Tuesday, for years, in hopes of decreasing the food insecurity in Macon.

"Macon has a homeless and hunger situation that we're trying to help," Franklin said.

Because of this, Nanette Matthews and Leonard Oxley reached out to Pastor Franklin with a project they had in mind that would help combat this issue.

"So, the Macon Community Fridge is a mutual aid project where people are able to take what they need, leave what they don't, 27/7," Matthews said.

After months of planning the idea came to life.

"It addresses the need that we have in Macon. We have a huge houseless population. Food insecurity is a huge problem here, but it also brings the community together. It's a way for everyone to get involved. It's not just the church handing out meals, it's everyone that can now add us to their grocery list," Matthews said.

The Fridge is in the parking lot of Steward Chapel AME Church at 887 Forsyth Street.

Pastor Franklin says he hopes that this is the start of something new. 

"I hope that others will hope to have the same thing in their area. This is the first one, but I hope there will be a second, third, fourth, and so on," Franklin said.

Matthews says the Macon Community Fridge is always accepting non-perishable food items and cash donations.

For more information you can reach the church at 478-742-4922.

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