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On July 13th, 60 supporters of the Village of Casa Familia gathered for its “All Jazzed Up” luncheon at the Coral Reef Yacht Club in Coconut Grove. The affair, which featured jazz music by bass player Alex Perez, was held in support of the development of its first-of-its-kind affordable housing community designed to serve adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) in Miami-Dade County. In attendance was Special Needs Advocate for Miami-Dade County, Susan Holtzman, who spoke on behalf of the Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. In addition, Executive Director of the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, Dr. Michael Alessandri, passionately shared remarks about the South Florida IDD Community whose aspirations are “driven by love, choice, inclusion and community.”
Among the many others there to support Casa Familia were Executive Director, Dr. Anay Abraham; Senior Housing Director, Debbie Lawrence; as well as board members and friends: Marc Plonskier, Tom and Marie-Ilene Whitehurst, Natasha Lowell, Bonnie Crabtree, Tracey Wilson Mourning, Michele Wiseheart, Erbi Blanco-True, Irene White, Mike Allen, Annie Rose, Sonia Plana, Elena Bluntzer, Linda Jackson, Deveni Hodges-Gibson, Susan Tarbe, Janis Cheezem along with prospective residents Eric Jawitz, Alex Perez, Allen Feldman, Carolina Rossel, Jackie Rose and Nami Tandon.
The Village of Casa Familia, scheduled to break ground later this year, is a multi-phase affordable housing community for adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). Phase I includes two residential buildings for 58 residents and an 11,000 square foot community center in an enriched neighbor-hood setting in Miami-Dade County’s Kendall area providing a much-needed housing initiative where there currently are no such communities in South Florida serving individuals with IDD.
Reach Marli Lutz at 786-282-4707 or mlutz@casafamiliainc.org.
On the cultural front, Actors Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables is reopening its Mainstage series this summer with ¡FUÁCATA! or A Latina’s Guide to Surviving the Universe. In this hilarious one-woman show Maria Garcia transforms into 20 different characters as she shares tales of love, marriage, immigration and identity through eccentric stories and whimsical song. Maria, a three-time Carbonell Award-winning Cuban-American actress, makes magic on stage blending observant humor and poignant moments with sociopolitical commentary. This play written by Maria Garcia and Stuart Meltzer finds endless humor in what it means to be a Latina in today’s America. Much like the path of Lily Tomlin’s Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, this new comedic gem is 90 minutes of pure fun. The show runs August 18 – September 12, 2021. For tickets, visit https://www.actorsplayhouse.org/mainstage/
Finally, the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) from El Portal to Homestead along with The Black Archives Organization and The Miami Rotary Club made many new moms happy with a surprise gift in celebration of the City of Miami’s 125th birthday, July 28, 2021. One hundred dollar gift cards were donated to the first 12 babies born on that anniversary date at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Gradon Hadaway, who heads the Jackson Health Foundation, invited representatives of the various clubs to join him and maternity ward nurses at Jackson for a check presentation photo op with the gift cards to be handed out to those lucky moms. Among the many club representatives attending the presentation were GFWC FL President’s Project Chair, Elizabeth Fisher; GFWC FL District 11 Director, Brenda Merrill, of Northeast Woman’s Club; Maribel Fruitstone, President of El Portal Woman’s Club; Coral Gables Woman’s Club President, Ruth Martinez; CGWC board member Gloria Burns; Miami Rotary Club President, Noreen Timoney; The Miami Woman’s Club President, Shirley Pardon; and Brandy Ramirez, President of the Homestead Woman’s Club. While not all of the contributing clubs attended, 10 of the 11 district clubs participated in the donation.
Until next time, keep making each day count, share an act of kindness every day and stay safe.
