MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Miami Gardens will be handing out hot meals at five of its parks each weekday for the next month.
Monday through Friday, starting at noon, residents will be able to come to Buccaneer Park, Bunche Park, Carol City Park, Norwood Park or Scott Park to pick up a meal. Residents are encouraged to come in a vehicle if possible, but walk-ups will be accepted.
A total of 1,500 meals will be distributed daily. The program runs through May 15.
“Some people are hurting and they’re not sure where their food or next meal is going to come from,” Mayor Oliver Gilbert said. “If that’s your case, we want to see if we can help.”
Reminder that Miami Gardens meals start tomorrow at 12PM pic.twitter.com/L7R0q7yTgR
— City of Miami Gardens (@CityofMiaGarden) April 19, 2020
The effort was organized just last week.
“A lot of people need food,” Miami Gardens resident Margie Daniels said. “A lot of people need help.”
Paco Velez, CEO of Feeding South Florida, said it’s important that those who are still earning paychecks leave these distributions for the people who are truly in dire need.
“Those who still have paychecks can go to a grocery store,” Velez said. "If Feeding South Florida runs out of food, our families just don’t eat and that’s a reality because they have no income coming in.”
Earlier Monday in Sweetwater, more than 600 cars lined up an hour and half before the opening of another food distribution. The meals were gone in two hours.
This is the sixth week of food giveaways in this area, and organizers want to keep doing it while the stay-at-home orders are in place — and while supplies last.
For information about other food distributions in South Florida this week, click here.