Church members and volunteers came together at Miami Gardens Antioch Baptist Church to collect goods to assist families going through a challenging period.
Helping Hands
The community of South Florida came together on Tuesday, Feb. 7, to assist those in need in the wake of a fire in Miami Gardens that displaced more than one hundred people from their homes.
Donors were observed bringing supplies for their fellow community members. Those presents included things like clothing, toiletries, and household items.
Alex Jackson, director of operations of the Antioch Baptist Church, said they like to be a community church. When anything happens in their community, they want to ensure that they respond best to help those in need.
In addition, the church collaborated with the Miami Dolphins organization to assist individuals who were in need.
Not only did the Dolphins give donations of food and supplies, but they also brought some joy to a difficult circumstance.
Accordingly, more than a week ago, occupants of an apartment building on Northwest 177th Street watched as it burned down.
Per Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, no one was hurt in the incident; nevertheless, many people have been forced to seek refuge in makeshift shelters and are afraid of what will happen next because the building in question did not have adequate insurance.
Ptr. Stephanie Russell of Faith of Florida, who spoke with Local 10 News, helped initiate the effort to demonstrate that the community is concerned.
Recent Fire Incident at Apartment Complex in Miami Gardens
A big fire that broke out in an apartment complex in Miami Gardens has resulted in the evacuation of many residents.
The damage extended to a total of 75 different apartments within the structure.
As mentioned, the fire started on Saturday morning, and thick black smoke could be seen for kilometers in all directions.
The roof of the structure was left burned and torn off in pieces after the fire. Charring can be seen on the windows and sides of many different apartments.
Many of the tenants of the building were taken aback and escaped with little or no belongings since they were caught off guard.
One family after another found out that the building they lived in did not have fire insurance, adding insult to injury after realizing that they had lost everything in the fire.
The building had its 40-year recertification, and the property manager informed the inhabitants of the building on Monday morning that a special assessment would be required of the owners.
He stated that most individuals there thought it was an excessive amount of money. The insurance company terminated the coverage since the recertification still needed to be completed.
On her way out of the meeting, where things had heated up, the property manager did not want to say much more than she already had.
Residents reported that they had been responsible for roof repairs, and some said they could not sell their flats because they did not have insurance.
Since the fire incident, organizations such as the Global Empowerment Mission have come forward with resources to assist the survivors who have been displaced.
According to Kimberly Bentley, who works for the Global Empowerment Mission, each package contains enough to maintain themselves while displaced.
They also have some cash cards that they will be passing them, Bentley added.
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