Monday, March 23, 2020

Our oldest daughter Jessica is the News Editor at the Miami New Times. This is a portion of an article she wrote last week.

Be a Good Neighbor: A Few Ways You Can Help Miami Survive Coronavirus

In these borderline-apocalyptic times, it's easy to feel helpless, especially when you're cooped up inside all day with nothing to do but let your mind wander. But the fact is, there are real, tangible ways you can make Miami a better place as we battle the spread of coronavirus. And you don't have to be a millionaire to make an impact - it could be as simple as running an errand for a homebound senior or writing a letter to a frightened immigrant locked up in a detention facility. 

That said, if you happen to be a millionaire, what are you waiting for? Now is the time to ball out. Make it rain on local charities! Do your part. Be, as Fred Rogers would say, a helper. 

Buy a meal for a hungry family. Food insecurity is a very real problem for many locals right now. Thankfully, the Miami area offers many food banks. Farm Share, which is providing fresh produce and other food for Miami-Dade schoolchildren and their families, says it can translate each dollar donated into 14 pounds of food. Donations can be made online or by texting EAT to 41-444. 

Another organization in need of your support is Feeding South Florida. Although it continues to accept edible donations, the food bank says monetary contributions gives its organizers "the most flexibility to respond rapidly to food, logistics, staffing, and supply needs." Donations can be made on line. 
In lieu of its usual hot meals, the Homestead Soup Kitchen is serving bagged lunches - no questions asked - from noon to 1 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Monetary donations can be made online. 

Give the gift of a phone call. In-person visitation has been temporarilv canceled at immigrant detention facilities across the nation, isolating people who have already been separated from their families. The local nonprofit advocacy group Friends of Miami-Dade Detainees is raising money to help detainees pay for phone calls, which can cost up to 45 cents per minute in Florida. Pitch in at fomdd.org/donate.

Pick up groceries for someone who needs them. These are bleak times for anyone who was already homebound, as well as seniors and the immunocompromised. If you're confidently healthy, why not do something to bring a smile to someone's face? Miamians Kristin Guerin and Jessica Guttierez have started a volunteer delivery service for those who need an extra hand. If you're up for the challenge - or in need of help yourself- email buddysystemmia@gmail.com. 

Jessica reminds us all that we can help others in a meaningful way in these difficult times. I'm very proud to call her my daughter! 

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