Alberto Carvalho served up a hot holiday meal for the homeless and their families at the Chapman Partnership – a Christmas Eve that Anton Hendricks said he’s very grateful for.
"I'm appreciative of everybody's donation and volunteer work here at the center,” said Hendricks, who is a single father, as he held his son at a table.
He said “it means a lot because my child has a meal, he has a warm place to stay, and more importantly he has the Christmas spirit – something that he never had before.”
The long lines moved quickly and more than 150 people were fed at the event in Miami.
“I thought I’d bring a little joy and bring some lunch, and honor the less fortunate in our community, and bring happiness,” said Carvalho, Miami-Dade’s superintendent of schools. “It’s about kids, it’s about community.”
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The Chapman Partnership is focused on empowering the homeless, but on Monday it was all about making kids and families smile.
“It’s very exciting, because all of this stuff, I never had this in my life,” said a boy named Jabari.
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Alfredo Brown, the deputy director of the Chapman Partnership, said Carvalho comes by every year and spends quality time with the kids.
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“He brings them a special meal and he makes sure each child gets a toy. And he spends the quality time with them, and he gets to know them and talks with them,” Brown said. “And it’s a marvelous experience for the children.”
Said Carvalho, “It’s about love, it’s about peace, it’s about the holidays.”
