MIAMI (WSVN) - Thousands in the Little Havana community braved the cold Wednesday morning to get their hands on one of CAMACOL’s Christmas basket vouchers.
“It’s unseaonsably cold, and I was expecting a little less turn out, but it seems we have quite a bit of people waiting,” said Robert Gutierrez, VP of CAMACOL.
“When God gives a blessing, you know, you gotta be grateful,” said Ida Wright, who stood in line for the first time. “You gotta take it with a smile. The weather is cold, yes, but the things that the Chamber of Commerce is doing, makes everybody warm. It’s a warm feeling.”
CAMACOL is keeping tradition alive in South Florida, hosting their 33rd annual food basket distribution event.
The Latin Chamber of Commerce handed out 3,500 vouchers Wednesday – one per family. With these tickets, each family will be able to trade in that voucher for a basket containing all the fixings needed for a Latin-style holiday meal on Dec. 12.
Gutierrez detailed the contents inside the baskets. “There’s a pork leg, there’s a couple of loaves of bread, there’s milk, there’s olive oil, there’s seasoning.”
While some people were only in line for a few hours, others said they have been in line for days.
Juanita Alvarez, who is first in line every year, said she came with a group this year. They have taken turns waiting in line since Saturday.
“This helps me on the 24th, Christmas Eve, to feed my family,” said Alvarez. “I always do this – every year. My family comes over, and we enjoy what the Chamber of Commerce gave us, you know … we’re grateful.”
“The things that chamber of commerce is doing is very warm,” added Wright. “It’s a very warm feeling.”
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.