Spending Their Day Off Rehabilitating a Resident’s Home
Without a sense of caring, there could be no sense of community. Code Compliance Officer Jacqueline Caicedo discovered this powerful alliance when she came across a long-time Miami Beach resident in need.
“A few weeks ago, I received a call from dispatch that a property’s lawn was severely overgrown,” explained Caicedo. “After speaking with the resident and hearing his backstory, I felt it was in my heart to not simply give him a violation, but rather help him bring his home into compliance.”
The elderly man has not cut his lawn for over four years following the loss of a close family member. Due to serious health complications this past year, he’s also been physically unable to cut his lawn or afford costly lawn maintenance from a landscape company.
Touched by his circumstance, Caicedo felt compelled to help the resident. She contacted the Office of Community Resources and filled out an application on his behalf for the City’s Homeowner Rehabilitation Program for which he qualifies. Utilizing State Housing Initiatives Program (SHIP) funds, the program provides eligible homeowners in Miami Beach with up to $70,000 in housing rehabilitation funds to remodel homes to enable aging in place, acquire energy efficient cooling and heating systems, or address code and safety concerns.
However, the waiting process can be lengthy. Acting alongside the application process, Caideco quickly called upon her fellow colleagues to join her in volunteering this past Saturday morning to address the immediate property maintenance concerns. Over 11 employees from the department brought their own equipment and got to work mowing the yard, pulling weeds, fixing the patio screen and more to bring his home into compliance – ultimately, spreading kindness throughout the community.
“I am so proud of our city staff for going above and beyond in performing this act of kindness,” said Miami Beach Commissioner Micky Steinberg. “As an official City of Kindness, Miami Beach encourages everyone to offer a helping hand to anyone in need.
Watch a video of this charitable act by clicking here.
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