Residents across South Florida lined up by the hundreds to get a chance Friday to receive food distributed to them in an effort to help during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Feeding South Florida held a no contact event at 14100 Southwest 144th Street from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Farm Share was distributing food at two locations, one in Coconut Grove located at 4000 Grand Avenue while another is taking place at 4343 Northwest 17th Avenue.
“There are so many who are just struggling to get by day in and day out,” Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said at one of the events. “You see these lines? They start early and they end unfortunately early because there is a lot more need than there is supply.”
Former Miami Heat legend Alonzo Mourning held a food giveaway in Overtown at 401 Northwest 12th Street.
U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson gave out Publix gift cards to residents as part of her 5000 Role Models group at an event Friday, also handing out Easter baskets to needy families during the pandemic.
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Residents lined up as early as 4 a.m. at several of the locations - a sight volunteers have seen all too often in the past weeks.
"Most people in this area live paycheck to paycheck," said Miami-Dade county commissioner Audrey Edmondson. "They don't have enough income now to pay their bills as well as purchase food for their children."
At the same time, those looking for unemployment benefit assistance can pick up a form in Hialeah at 190 West 49th Street or at any public library in Miami-Dade County from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
