Thousands of people waited patiently in line in Little Havana Wednesday morning for free holiday meal tickets.
By 7:30 a.m., police had counted nearly 2,800 people lined up for blocks waiting for the vouchers outside Camacol, the Latin American Chamber of Commerce.
The food tickets go to the first 3,000 people in line. They return to pick up food baskets on December 14th.
Juanita Alvarez, a great-grandmother, showed up at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon with neighbors.
She slept outside the chamber's building with friends on "the concrete," she said, after braving cold, winds, and rain.
"It was hard, my bones are in pain but it was worth it," said Alvarez, who waited in line for the seventh year in a row for about $150 worth of rice, beans, meat, and other goodies she'll use to make Christmas Eve dinner.
