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Ways to Help: You helped raise $117,142 for COVID-19 relief in Central Georgia

13WMAZ is partnering with the United Way of Central Georgia and Community Foundation of Central Georgia to raise money for COVID-19 relief

MACON, Ga. — UPDATE, 8 p.m.:

People all across Central Georgia came together to help those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. United Way of Central Georgia's COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund has raised a total of $117,142 for community-based organizations assisting those who have been hit the hardest by the pandemic. 100% of every dollar you donate will go to those in need and nothing will go toward marketing or administrative expenses.

Thank you for your support and generosity, Straight from the Heart!

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As COVID-19 continues to spread, United Way of Central Georgia is thinking about the lasting economic effects the pandemic will have on the region.

With that in mind, they created the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.

They are working with community leaders and other nonprofits to find short-term resource and service gaps.

This Thursday (April 30), 13WMAZ is partnering with the United Way of Central Georgia and Community Foundation of Central Georgia to hold a Ways to Help 'telethon' and raise money for the fund.

We will be featuring interviews throughout the day with people from the organizations your donation could between 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

So, what will your donation go to? 

It will go to community-based organizations assisting those who have been hit the hardest by the pandemic. 100% of every dollar you donate will go to those in need and nothing will go toward marketing or administrative expenses.

Right now, there are three ways to give:

Additionally, your donation will go farther thanks to two matching commitments. 

Jeff Smith Automotive will match the first $40,000 donated and GEICO will match the first $10,000 donated.

The United Way has identified several organizations that need immediate help. 

The Middle Georgia Community Food Bank, which transports, sorts, stores, and distributes millions of pounds of food every year to the needy, hungry, and homeless in middle Georgia, could need as much as $100K or more in the next few weeks to make sure that they have adequate food supply.

Meals on Wheels of Middle Georgia is struggling to deliver all their normal deliveries, much less the greatly increased demand for new ones, due to loss of volunteers.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Georgia, and other after school programmers, would like to have funding so that they can offer their summer learning camps free of charge.

Here are some of the other programs that United Way of Central Georgia funds and brief description of what they do. For a full list, click here.

  • American Red Cross: A humanitarian organization providing assistance to help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Heart of Georgia: A youth organization that provides mentoring to children from single parent families. This agency serves youth with adult mentors from within its service area.
  • Crisis Line & Safe House of Central Georgia: This agency is a comprehensive Victim Service Center. Victim services are available 24 hours a day via a crisis hotline. The agency provides safe shelter for victims of domestic violence, crisis intervention counseling, emotional support, support groups, and legal advocacy and courtroom support for victims of rape and domestic violence.  
  • Daybreak: Their day/resource center in Macon provides services to individuals facing the immediate crisis of homelessness.

Thank you, Straight from the Heart.

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