Hundreds line up outside Little Haiti Soccer Park for $250 Publix gift card

MIAMI (WSVN) - The City of Miami is hoping to give some relief to its residents as they continue to hand out $250 Publix gift cards.

Hundreds gathered outside Little Haiti Soccer Park, located at 6301 NE 2nd Ave., early Tuesday morning in hopes of receiving a gift card.

7News cameras captured frustrated residents trying to reform a line after police officers informed them they had wandered onto private property.

The line turned into a crowd of people as the order got messed up during the repositioning.

“My gosh. It was crazy, and I had my baby with me,” Samantha said. “Everyone was just pushing.”

Samantha said she got some help from a man, Mark James, and they both received their numbers.

“We talked to the people that organized this,” James said. “The next time they do it, organize it better.”

James said he is fortunate to still be working but could still use the help.

Samantha, however, has been out of work for months.

“This March 25, I got my notice and it’s just been trying to survive during this pandemic,” she said. “I lost my father to COVID in August, my mother died seven years ago, I was responsible for him, so it’s just me and my baby. We don’t really have family here and it’s just been really hard and people need to take COVID seriously.”

The event is the second of five distributions hosted by City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez over the course of a month.

Suarez said it is heartbreaking to see that the need is still at the point it is.

The woman at the front of the line said she has been there since 2 p.m. on Monday.

“We need the income,” she said. “I mean, I lost my job. I’m on unemployment. I’m about to lose the place where I live. I mean, it’s a horrible thing that I’m going through, and it’s not only me. We’re all here because we’ve got problems. Imagine, for $250 to spend the night here in this weather, it’s terrible.”

Only City of Miami residents are able to receive the gift cards.

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