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The previous quarter of the year has been very busy.
There’s been support for COVID testing and vaccinations. We reopened our COVID-19 site at NW 27th Avenue and 183rd Street, partnering with Jesse Trice and a Black-owned group and have been providing 15-minute to 24-hour rapid tests to over 1,000 people each week. We’ve also assisted residents without transportation to get vaccinated or booster
shots.
We’ve partnered with the Farm Share feeding program at least once a month to provide food to those families in need throughout the community. People get in line from 5:00 a.m., even though we don’t usually start the distribution until 9 a.m. We were fortunate to secure groceries for up to 500 families, distributed through different churches and businesses that let us host at their respective sites. Residents got milk, eggs, protein, rice, and other basic food items. Additionally, we gave out over 6,000 turkeys for Thanksgiving.
Some of these people are not used to being in a food line, but they have no choice because of what’s going on right now. For example, the hotel industry hasn’t bounced back. Managers, janitors, housekeepers all live here in Miami Gardens, and we’re able to help supplement their needs with some of these food drives.
Moving forward, there’s still a lot of work to be done in 2022, especially in my district. We were able to secure almost $4 million for renovations and infrastructure, redoing the streets and sidewalks in Lake Lucerne. It’s really been uplifting for that community. Right now, every park in the Seat 2 area is under construction, so residents will see wonderful results in a few months.
We continue to push the program where we partner with legal aid to help some of our seniors who may not understand the dangers of misleading mail. They are losing their houses or getting unnecessary second mortgages. These services were brought in to help them avoid getting into jams. I also came up with a Citywide housing restoration program where our seniors, who sometimes live on a fixed income, will receive up to $1,500 for landscaping and painting projects.
We’re growing now. We’ve annexed a portion of a warehouse district off I-95; we’ve had some meetings with the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators & Developers about getting world-class hotels into the City of Miami Gardens; UPS just spent $123 million opening up a brand new facility here; DHL recently moved in, and Peloton is now here. These Fortune 500 companies are making Miami Gardens their home.
This holiday, my message is to make sure our residents stay safe and keep their families safe too. We have a Jesse Trice facility, which can provide booster shots, first-time vaccines, and comprehensive health services. Let’s make sure that we also look out for our neighbors and slow those cars down. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
