Ryan Nicol
Five members of the Florida House will be on hand Tuesday morning to help hand out food at a Feeding South Florida event in Miami-Dade County.
Reps. Vance Aloupis, Juan Fernandez-Barquin, Daniel Perez, Ana Maria Rodriguez and Anthony Rodriguez will appear at Tropical Park at 7900 SW 40 St. Individuals are being asked to use the entrance on Bird Road.
The food distribution event is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. but will end once supplies run out. Food will be doled out on a first-come, first-serve basis.
With social distancing efforts in effect aimed at efforts to stop the spread on the novel coronavirus, that’s made large-scale distribution efforts difficult.
To comply with social distancing guidelines, Tuesday morning’s event will be drive-thru only.
On top of typically food-insecure individuals, limitations on social gatherings have also heavily impacted the economy. Those restrictions have already left many Floridians out of work. Though the federal government has approved a stimulus package to help people weather the storm, many Floridians are concerned about where they can access their next meal.
That’s led several lawmakers to hold food distribution events in recent weeks to help members of the community.
In fact, this isn’t the first time this same quintet of lawmakers has joined to help feed members of the Miami-Dade County community. All five members represent districts that cover a portion of the county.
Late March saw Sens. Oscar Braynon II and Jason Pizzo joining Reps. Dotie Joseph and Barbara Watson at a Farm Share event in Miami-Dade County. Other lawmakers have joined in to help as well.
Those unable to attend this current event, or who don’t have access to a vehicle to attend future drive-thru distributions, can still obtain food from Feeding South Florida. The organization has dedicated a page on its website detailing its efforts, including links to food pantries in the area.
