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We ended 2021 strong. During Thanksgiving, my office partnered with the Progressive Firefighters Association to give out more than two thousand turkeys at our annual Turkey Giveaway. We also partnered with the offices of Vice Mayor Reggie Leon and Councilwoman Katrina Wilson to provide food boxes to our homebound residents in nursing homes and senior communities.
My office also partnered with the Miami Gardens Police Department for the “Turkeys Instead of Tickets” initiative. We were giving back and offering an act of kindness during the holiday season.
My office also spearheaded the Senior Ice Cream Social at the Senior Family Center during the holidays, providing gifts and entertainment. In that same week, we partnered with Murphy Express in the entertainment overlay district, NW 27th Avenue, for the Holiday Gas Giveaway, providing more than 200 residents with $25 in gas.
New year initiatives
Since the new year, we’ve launched health initiatives like Juice It Thursdays in partnership with Raw Juice, encouraging residents to use juice as an alternative healthy eating habit. We’re supporting some of our local mom-and-pop smoothie and juice bars as well. I’m looking forward to doing it again in the next quarter.
We launched the 2022 Miami Gardens Fitness Challenge, something that former Mayor and now County Commissioner, Vice Chairman Oliver Gilbert, used to lead. We worked out for six (6) weeks every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex, with classes from boot camp to yoga. At the season finale, we awarded winners of the challenge with passes to the Jazz in the Gardens music festival.
The Miami Gardens Higher Education Scholarship is underway once again. In partnership with Dibia DREAM Foundation, our STEM Saturdays’ initiative provides free STEM programming for our local kids.
Looking ahead
In the upcoming quarter, I’m focusing on a few things. The Miami Gardens Promise Scholarship will award $75,000 in state funds to be shared among more than thirty (30) young people for higher education. The Miami Gardens Internet For All initiative, in partnership with AT&T, will provide little-to-no-cost broadband services to Miami Gardens residents. As part of my Age-Friendly initiative, our Senior Shopping Day, supported by Chen Senior Medical Center, Circle of Brotherhood, and Calder Casino, will give our seniors a gift card to Walmart along with some shopping lessons and tips. Hurricane Preparedness activities, presented along with Home Depot, will provide residents with hurricane supplies like water, batteries, and first aid kits. And at my quarterly Town Hall meeting, we’ll educate our residents on zoning issues in the City of Miami Gardens.
It was absolutely amazing to witness my first Jazz in the Gardens while in office. I’m also excited about Formula 1 happening in May in our City. Our annual Juneteenth event is also coming back stronger than ever in June.
