MIAMI – Workers set up a tent Wednesday in front of the Overtown Youth Center, where they handed out bacon, eggs and cheese for breakfast and turkey sandwiches for lunch.
One local company is donating 1,500 meals a week to help families struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.
Decked out in full protective gear, former NBA hall of famer and founder of the Overtown Youth Center Alonzo Mourning passed out free meals to parents and children whose lives have been upended by the COVID-19 outbreak.
“By so many people being out of work and not having the wherewithal to earn a decent wage to go to the grocery store and what have you, you’ve got young kids at home, you know, who might go days without having breakfast, lunch or dinner,” Mourning said.
To ease the burden of those in need, several organizations are partnering together to offer free breakfast and lunch every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Gibson park, right in front of the Overtown Youth Center on Northwest 12th Street.
“At least I got me a nice hot meal. I ain’t got to worry about nothing or cooking or nothing,” Johnnia Whyms said. “The stores ain’t got nothing on the shelves. They empty.”
The free food giveaway was the brainchild of Scott Harris, the founder of food manufacturing company DeliverLean.
“We’re prepared to feed thousands of children and families throughout the state during this trying time,” Harris said.
“When I heard what he wanted to do, I said, ‘Hey, let’s just try to make it happen,’” Mourning said. “I feel like that we got enough wealth in our communities and we got enough people in our communities that have the ability to help.”
DeliverLean is also producing about 50,000 meals a day for senior citizens across the state who are unable to leave their homes.