‘It’s like family’: Amid pandemic, organizations provide haven for needy on Thanksgiving
Every year on Thanksgiving, nonprofit organizations across Miami host hundreds of volunteers and community members who eat, dance and mingle at what feels like block parties among neighbors and friends.
DJs hype up the crowds, barbers give haircuts and volunteers dish out heaping plates of Thanksgiving delicacies.
But as COVID-19 cases rise, medical experts advise staying home for the holiday. So does Miami-Dade County, the state’s most populous, where case counts have surged to a seven-day average of more than 1,800 daily cases.
While gatherings are frowned upon and social distancing is recommended, the need for food and shelter hasn’t gone away. Instead, it has ballooned into a crisis. Feeding South Florida, the region’s largest food bank, reported a 200% increase in demand since the pandemic began in March, destabilizing millions and putting people out of work.
The greater need highlights the importance of Miami’s nonprofit organizations — such as Camillus House and the Kiwanis Club of Little Havana — which provided meals to hundreds of those in need Thursday, though the celebration strayed from the usual tradition.
“While this year’s circumstances are less than ideal, we are committed to providing our clients with the experience of a home-cooked meal,” said Hilda M. Fernandez, Camillus House CEO.
Instead of hundreds of volunteers clamoring for a spot to do good at the organization’s 60th annual Thanksgiving meal, the number was limited to 40, and all volunteers were tested for COVID-19 ahead of time. All 300-plus residents at the shelter were tested as well, so that they could eat in the campus dining room. Another 150 people experiencing homelessness ate under an open-air tent nearby.
Some traditions stayed the same. Outdoors, Razzledazzle Barbershop provided haircuts and a DJ kept the mood upbeat. Indoors, festive holiday music played through a speaker.
“It’s like family,” one attendee told the Miami Herald as he cut into a slice of turkey doused in cranberry sauce. “The closest thing to family is Camillus House.”
Camillus House chefs roasted more than 120 turkeys at the Hyatt Regency Downtown in preparation for the feast. They also prepared traditional sides to the tune of 800 pounds of sweet potatoes, 1,000 dinner rolls, 400 pounds of green beans and 160 assorted pies.
Politicians — including Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, state House Rep. Nicholas X. Duran, D-Miami, and state Sens. Jason Pizzo, D-North Miami Beach and Ana Maria Rodriguez, R-Doral — stopped by to mingle and serve food. They wore masks, gloves, hairnets and white, “I served at Camillus House” aprons. Attendees spread across the dining room to the tables, which were limited to one or two diners each and decorated with fresh flowers and gold tablecloths.
“This has been a very difficult year for our community,” Duran said. “Our community always comes together in tough times, but it is extra special when you see the volunteers and partners come together to make something like this happen in light of a pandemic.”
The Kiwanis Club of Little Havana celebrated its 19-year tradition of serving Thanksgiving lunch to seniors in public housing by providing the traditional lunch in to-go boxes for 150 residents.
Volunteers, including Miss Carnaval Miami 2020 Valeria Uzcategui, lined up to dish out the hot meals.
“The residents of Smathers Plaza have become an extension of our families,” said Jorge Fernández, Kiwanis Club of Little Havana president. “We value the opportunity to provide a Thanksgiving meal that expresses our appreciation.”
Miami Herald visual journalist Carl Juste contributed to this report.
This story was originally published November 26, 2020 at 4:05 PM.