Throughout the tumultuous year that has been 2020, several South Florida organizations have stepped in to provide resources at a time when they’ve been most needed by the community.
This Thanksgiving is no exception. That’s when United Way of Broward County’s MISSION UNITED is partnering with the Miami Dolphins Foundation Food Relief Program and Florida Power & Light to distribute 1,000 Thanksgiving dinner meals to Broward County military veterans and active service members. The event is one of several initiatives of Mission United, which supports employment services, education, health, legal assistance, financial stability, and housing support for veterans and miliary service members.
Taking place Nov. 25, 4-6 p.m., the drive-through distribution event will provide meals to veterans’ and service members’ families (with a limit of five meals per household). To receive the meals, veterans, active duty military, National Guard and Reserve members must register in advance and will need to present their online registration ticket and proof of veteran or military status during a drive-thru pick up line. Applicable registrants must wear a mask, present their registration/ID, and arrive with an empty trunk to place meals in.
Another local initiative to give back during the holidays comes from Fort Lauderdale-based Freedland Harwin Valori, PL (FHV), Rotary Club of Weston and Huntington Learning Center. The organizations are uniting to host its annual Harvest Drive, which helps feed families in need. The organizations will be collecting funds through Dec. 1.
The organizations are asking for monetary donations of any amount with a goal to provide 1,500 families with students in Broward County Public Schools two full bags of non-perishable groceries (40 pounds of food) and a $25 gift card.
“This funding from the community will be essential for this year’s Harvest Drive to succeed,” said FHV founding partner Michael Freedland, Esq., who is also a former past president and board member of the Rotary Club of Weston. “Donating to the Harvest Drive is an opportunity for anyone to directly and positively impact the lives of food-insecure families with children.”
In addition to giving to a great cause, everyone who donates, regardless of the amount, will be entered in a raffle to win a $1,000 American Express gift card. To be entered in the raffle, donors simply need to email a screenshot of their donation to rotaryfeeds@gmail.com. Donations can be made via Venmo at @RotaryFeeds, CashApp at $WestonRotary, and PayPal at reho7@aol.com.
