MIAMI (WSVN) - A South Florida organization stepped up to feed a need to families in need this holiday season, just as it has done for the past 40 years.
CAMACOL has hosted annual food distributions in Miami for four decades. At around 7 a.m. on Wednesday, hundreds of bags filled with holiday staples started being handed out at loanDepot Park.
About an hour earlier, 7News’ Dronecam hovered above six different rows of cars that wrapped around the block outside the venue. Many drivers camped overnight and waited at the venue since Tuesday afternoon.
Among those who waited more than 12 hours was Juanita Álvarez. She said she has been first in line for about half the time CAMACOL has organized the annual tradition.
“I got here yesterday at 6 in the morning. Yes, and today is Wednesday, and it’s December the 10th, and I was here on a Tuesday, December the 9th, early in the morning,” said Álvarez. “They went and picked me up at 5:30, and we just got here and lined up right here.”
This year’s event is predominantly a drive-thru distribution. However, about 75 food baskets will be handed out to pedestrians as well.
When asked what brings her back every year, Álvarez told 7News, “This is my 17th year, and I just love to see all of y’all to come and interview me and to be with all my friends, and especially the basket … This is great, this is great. I’m waiting for it because, you know, this I share with my family. We need this because things are really expensive lately. I don’t know what’s going on, you know, but this helps a lot. This, oh my goodness, when I see it and all these people be giving me a bag here, a basket here, you know, oh, I be so happy. My heart is about to come out because I’m thinking about my family. You know, they need it.”
Álvarez said the bags being handed out are filled with generous portions of holiday staples.
“Like Publix and Sedano’s Supermarket, they’re there, you know. I saw the Coca-Cola, I saw the Goya, all these products. This is wonderful,” she said.
The drive-thru distribution differed from other years because the food items were handed out at loanDepotPark’s garage instead of in front of CAMACOL’s headquarters.
Inside the garage, 7News cameras captured several tents from more than a dozen different sponsors — including Coca-Cola, Goya and Iberia — that gathered to spread holiday cheer for those struggling to make ends meet. At the Publix tent, volunteers handed out entire porks to families.
“Felicidades,” said a Publix volunteer as he handed a pork to someone in the front passenger seat of a car
“Happy holidays,” said Álvarez.
One of the drivers who pulled into the garage said she is paying it forward.
“I work for a nonprofit that is called Volunteers of America, so I come to get this food for my clients that are homeless veterans,” she said. “So this is for them, we’re going to cook for them on the 22nd.”
“Unfortunately there’s a lot of families that are in big need,” said Sedano Supermarkets’ Pedro Mesa, Chair of the CAMACOL Holiday Basket Committee, “so Sedano’s, along with many other companies, it’s our responsibility as leaders of these communities to be here and make sure that everybody has a Nochebuena dinner.”
Those who received the bags of food expressed their gratitude.
“Getting together [to] enjoy our meal and enjoy our happiness [after we] come together,” said Jerry Rojas.
By moving the distribution onto Miami Marlins property and under the garage, it not only protected people from the weather, but also the immigrant community who might be in fear.
“This is great because by the Marlins being involved with us and being involved with this organization, it gives a safe space for people to come out and make sure that they have the food that they need for Christmas and the holidays,” said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Rene Garcia.
If the long lines of cars were any indication, there are many people in need this holiday season.
When asked whether the wait was worth it, Rojas responded, “Definitely, definitely. It’s an event that we do every year, and it’s a lot of joy. That’s all it is.”
The distribution lasted until around noon. Each household that took part came away with about $400 worth of groceries.
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