Project Name: "Macon Has It All" Resource Directory Current project chair: Lynne Shelley, Lanns40@aol.com Project extensions: LGBT Customer Thank-You/Tip Cards Annual Budget: $600 (Printing based on quarterly updates, Tip Cards, brochure distribution) Participation: Open to all, general donations accepted from all Description: Brochure promoting local LGBT-owned or friendly businesses and services to the lgbt community Cost: Free listings, free distribution, free Tip Cards ($15 donations are requested from commercial businesses to help cover printing & distribution)

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The project was started as an attempt to link our community to the vital services that are available for us, such as other lgbt organizations, progressive churches, legal, medical and financial aid, and crisis counseling. It has evolved to include mainstream listings in response to the constant ageworn complaints that there is nothing to do in Macon, especially for gays and lesbians.

We recognize how common it is for local gays and lesbians to go to Atlanta or Savannah for shopping and entertainment based on the perception that they are not welcome or accepted in Macon's places of business. But times have changed dramatically, even in the last 5 years.

We know by experience that many businesses DO welcome our patronage, and we aim to share this information with the whole community so that the relationship between these businesses and the lgbt community contributes healthily to both our own culture and the economic stability of Macon.

Building on our new support from the Macon-Bibb County Convention & Visitors Bureau, and our participation in the Mayor's Diversity Committee, we expect to be able to promote hundreds of gay-friendly businesses to potential tourists stopping at the interstate rest stops just outside of Macon.

Our redesigned "Macon Has It All" Resource Directory will be placed in the tourist information literature panels inside these rest stops in an effort to encourage the LGBT travelers passing through Macon to actually stop and visit all the wonderful things about this friendly, beautiful, progressive southern city.

One of the subtle ways we encourage mainstream businesses to consider listing in our directory is to ask people in our community to leave a "Thank-You" card that tells the manager/owner that his business was just supported by local LGBT dollars. Once a business recognizes the impact our patronage has on their overall success, they're more eager to make us feel welcome in their establishments. The first step they can take that costs them very little if anything at all, is to list their business in our Resource Guide.

The printed directory is currently being redesigned & updated by Lynne Shelley. If you would like to receive one of these for your review, we'll send you one for free, email us to request a copy.