History of MGCFB

In May 1981, Rev. Ben Fore, Director of Christian Social Ministries of the Macon Baptist Association, visited St. Luke’s Outreach Program in Atlanta. He returned to Macon with a dream. This dream he shared with twenty citizens of our area, and on March 1, 1982, with $1,000 in startup funds from the United Way, the Macon Area Food Bank was incorporated.

When we began, the Rev. Fore operated the Food Bank out of a donated pickup truck and a small storage area in the basement of the Macon Rescue Mission.

In 1993, MGCFB became a certified affiliate with Feeding America, the nation’s food bank, which led to increased food supplies and funding. Through the ensuing years, MGCFB has continued to grow to meet the needs of the Middle Georgia area.

Currently, Middle Georgia Community Food Bank supports over 200 partner agencies to distribute millions of pounds of food across 24 counties.  In 2025, 9.7million pounds of food were distributed, providing 8 million meals through direct food assistance.  Including assistance to neighbors applying for SNAP benefits, a total of 8.3 million meals was provided during the calendar year.

Backpack Program

The Backpack Program provides low-income K-12 students a bag of nutritious food each Friday during the school year and during school breaks. This child-friendly food in child-friendly packaging is valued by families who rely on school meals to meet students’ nutritional needs. Most of these food products must be purchased specifically for this program.

During the 2025-2026 school year, 6,961 students in 119 schools across 15 counties were served by the Backpack Program through the efforts of 30 partner agencies.

Senior Brown Bag

Many older adults facing food insecurity also have challenges with transportation and mobility. MGCFB’s Senior Brown Bag program provides home delivery of emergency groceries to 1,000 seniors in seven counties. Food items are selected for nutritional content to match health needs and often include fresh produce.

Mobile Pantry Distribution

In counties where partner agency capacity does not meet the need for food assistance, Middle Georgia Community Food Bank’s Mobile Food program delivers food for distribution. Weekly schedules are shared on MGCFB’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

SNAP Outreach

This program connects neighbors who qualify to benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). MGCFB staff provides application assistance in person and over the telephone by partnering with the Georgia Department of Human Services.  To request assistance with SNAP applications (also known as food stamps), please email [email protected] or call 478-342-3218.