Macon Promise Neighborhood: Aunt Maggie's Kitchen Table Gears Up

Yesterday Bibb County Commissioner Joe Allen called for a federal investigation into the Bibb Board of education's dealings with the Macon Promise Neighborhood.Several organizations across Macon came together to try to transform one local community.The Bibb County School Board committed $20 million to the cause, but there are a number of organizations already dedicating time, service, and money to the program."Aunt Maggie's Kitchen Table is an outreach program, our primary program is our after school program,” says Rhonda Green-Barnes the Director of the Lane Center at Wesleyan College. "Which is run by Wesleyan College's Lane Center for Community Engagement and Service and we are located in the Anthony Homes Housing community."
Wesleyan College is one of the 25 organizations that agreed to play a role in the development of Macon Promise Neighborhood."We are expanding our program through the promise neighborhood association. We are doing our best to provide work readiness training to the parents of our after school participants," Green-Barnes adds.Aunt Maggie’s Kitchen Table isn't new to the area. They've been doing the after school program for twelve years. This year they have begun expanding their after-school services to the parents of the children they've served for years.Residents in Anthony Homes say it's about time this area of town got some attention. Nathaniel has lived in the area for twenty-two years and thinks Macon Promise is just the change their neighborhood needs. "I think it will be nice to have something like that in the neighborhood because the kids will have somewhere to go and something to do," he adds.
Nathaniel says the area could use a 20 million dollar injection to turn it around, "I don't think it's too much, we need more."Rhonda says investigations and scandals won't end the commitment of her organization. "We are not focusing on any negative forces right now, we are focusing on providing work readiness, getting our parents ready to go to work," she says.The Macon Promise Neighborhood has pledged to improve the education of kids and adults in some of the most distressed areas in Bibb County.I'm in desperate need of a kitchen island, but I can't build one or afford a new one. Is there a way to buy a used kitchen island cabinet with a top? Can you easily refinish the cabinet to match my existing stained cabinets? Or, is there an easier way to save time and money? --Victoria B., Racine, Wis.