Miami mayor expresses optimism over newly elected officials at Thanksgiving Day feast for homeless

Camillus House serves hundreds of meals

MIAMI – City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez put on a blue disposable hair net and a white Camillus House apron Thursday and quickly got to work with other volunteers. He also delivered a speech.

“Thank you all for the opportunity to be able to give back, to remind ourselves that we have a moral obligation to take care of each other, and this is part of that obligation,” Suarez said with his son Andrew by his side.

With the help of volunteers and donors, the Camillus House has been serving a Thanksgiving Day feast for Miami’s homeless community for over 60 years.

The nonprofit organization served hundreds of traditional meals again this year in the dining room at 1603 NW 7 Ave., in Miami’s area of Allapattah.

Suarez served food and walked up to tables to shake hands and wish others well. He had time to acknowledge the recent runoff election that resulted in two new members of the Miami Commission.

Miguel Angel Gabela beat incumbent Alex Diaz de La Portilla, who is currently suspended after his arrest on corruption charges, to represent the city’s District 1. Civil rights activist Damian Pardo defeated one-term incumbent Sabina Covo to represent District 2.

Suarez said he sent them both a congratulatory message.

“We hope it’s collegial -- always want it to be collegial -- sometimes it is, sometimes its not,” Suarez said.

Miami’s mayor hardly contained his optimism at the thought that those who have hamstrung his work in the past may no longer have the numbers to do so in his final two-year term.

Gabela and Pardo, who vowed to clean up City Hall, will be guests on Sunday of “This Week In South Florida.”

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Glenna Milberg joined Local 10 News in September 1999 to report on South Florida's top stories and community issues. She also serves as co-host on Local 10's public affairs broadcast, "This Week in South Florida."

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The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.

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