MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – For those who celebrate Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14 usually consists of loving expressions and a dinner date. For the homeless, it’s another day of loneliness and fear, wondering where their next meal will come from.
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The Caring Place is a bridge to hope.
Last Thursday, the organization, which has been serving the homeless, hungry, and needy in South Florida for more than a century, organized a feast, complete with tabletop decorations and handmade cards befitting the occasion.
The dinner took place at The Caring Place’s two centers, the Miami Rescue Mission and Broward Outreach Centers.
Special guest pastors welcomed the attendees with prayer and words of encouragement, while a special team of Meals and More ambassadors served the food.
Each attendee also received new t-shirts, socks, and hygiene items. Children received toys, coloring books, and candy. The Spot Barber Academy provided complimentary haircuts.
“It was such a treat to be shown love on Valentine’s Day,” said Scott, a Miami Rescue Mission resident. “I was lost and on the street alone, thinking that no one cared. But being here at The Caring Place, I am shown today and every day that there is hope and that people care about me. Thank you to everyone who has shown me I am cared for.”
“We want to love on the homeless at all of our centers and celebrate not just their strength through struggles, but also their decision to walk through our doors and work toward a better life,” said Antonio Villasuso, president of The Caring Place. “We are dedicated to helping transform the lives of those in need. We never want a day to go by where they feel unloved or unwanted.”
Among many other services, The Caring Place provides food, shelter, spiritual direction, and job training to more than 600 homeless men, women, and children on a daily basis.
For more information and to show your support, visit caringplace.org.
