MIAMI – When most people think of mission work, they may associate church groups going to Africa or South America to feed the hungry. But here in South Florida, the poverty rate has grown tremendously.
One in five children in South Florida go to bed hungry every night, according to Feed the Children, which is why the faith based group is focusing its efforts in Miami.
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This week, Feed the Children set up shop at the Overtown Youth Center and provided food, personal care items, and other essentials to more than 800 families in need.
Families waited hours, some even overnight, just to get a few boxes of food for their family.
Morgan Logan with Feed the Children said the work has to start here.
"I think it's really important to take care of one another. If everyone tried to help their neighbors, they would lessen the problem a little bit," said Morgan.
Feed the Children is a Christian non-profit organization that started its outreach in the 1970s by focusing their efforts on worldwide hunger. The founder, Minister Larry Jones, took a mission trip to Haiti and started the non-profit.
Today, its reach has become more localized. With the growing demand in the U.S., the face of hunger has changed.
Miami resident Ilya Williams has a job, but sometimes it's not enough.
"It's really, really hard these days. Sometimes, I don't know where my next meal will come from, but I do trust in God," said Williams.
There is more information on the Feed the Children website.