Help The Homeless | Favela Miami
ACHIEVEMENTS
Welcome to 2023!
Now that the organization is taking shape and we are growing, we decided to create this tab, where people can see what Favela Miami is achieving regularly.
It is important to point out some of the highlights from previous years.
The below can be found under the “Stories” tab:
“Guatemala kid”: He wanted to go back to his family. With the help of the community, we were able to send him home by plane.
* Jerry: His family in New Jersey thought he was deceased, since he stopped communication with them for 3 months. They saw a video-interview about another Homeless person on Facebook and Jerry made a small appearance. From there they contacted me and I was able to reunite them.
6 years later, Jerry was finally ready to accept assistance and he is currently in permanent housing.
Mr. J: I met Mr. J while conducting video-interviews. He told me his story, but he didn’t want to be in a video. Mr. J doesn’t like being homeless and he keeps himself very clean and presentable. He does not look homeless. He asked me to help him with his resume and to print 20 copies. So I did. This was in October 2016 and he found a temp job with the Halloween store. Later he found a full-time job. He is happy and thriving!
* James: He lives and works in California. He came to Miami Beach on vacation, on a very limited budget, and had all his belongings stolen, causing him to not be able to return home and therefore, become homeless.
The day I met him, he was in need of black shoes to start work the next day and save the money to buy a ticket back home.
With the help of the community, we got all the items he needed.
We also directed him to the Miami Beach homeless assistance, where he was given the ticket home.
He is now happily back at his home and work!
* Mario: A 60+ year old, sleeping on the streets, suffering from arthritis pain, among others. He was in a temporary shelter and had to leave, back on the streets.
Through Favela Miami contacts, Mario is now in a permanent shelter and receiving all the medial attention he needs.
* Simon: He lost his job and then his home and became homeless. He managed to stay clean. Always impeccable! When I first met him volunteering in homeless feeding, I had no idea he was sleeping on the streets.
He had a particular medical issue and was not able to receive care.
After several conversations, he agreed to go to Miami Beach homeless assistance to get the reference he needed for the J11 insurance. He was the 1st person ever to get it at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
He now has a home and a job! and he continues to volunteer at the homeless feeding.
* Alfonso: I met a homeless man at the Church’s Thanksgiving lunch. He lost contact with his son from NY. I asked for his sons’ full name and home state and hired a close friend. They found an address in Queens, NY that was an 8 min drive from the airport where I would be landing 2 days later, so I printed his picture, wrote a letter to the son and delivered it personally (placed under the door for it was 1am). Long story short, he thought his father was dead. He was looking for him for 6 months. The son was overjoyed that his father was alive and looked happy in the picture!
* Jerry, the Uber driver: A Homeless person just called me. I never met him in person. He has a job/income as an Uber driver, but not making enough for rent (after divorce and passing of his parents) he was living in his car. Long story short, his car was towed 5 days ago and now he is on the streets, hungry, wet and unable to make money. His car is on Beach Towing. Who has influence to get his car back so he is not forced into a life of panhandling or crime, in order to survive?
2 hours later I receive a call: Commissioner John Elizabeth Aleman and Commissioner Michael Grieco contacted Beach Towing. Their lawyer just contacted me (from his vacation in Aruba) to say Jerry’s car was returned to him at no cost!!!! Thank you, Commissioners, and South Beach Towing!
RESUME of FAVELA’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS since the 1st Gala: Nov. 2022 to Aug. 2023:
As a result of Favela’s work & outreach efforts:
# of Employees Hired by Favela: 15
# of Clients Favela helped find permanent jobs: 25
# of Clients Favela helped house: 7
# of Clients placed in shelters due to Favela’s outreach efforts: 10
# of Clients placed in rehab due to Favela’s outreach efforts: 2
# of Clients relocated and/or reunited with family, due to Favela’s outreach efforts: 3
Favela’s monthly engagements with Homeless individuals on the streets: average 50-80
Favela’s different involvement:
* Helps building their Resumes
* In addition to the Homeless individuals living in shelters and employed by Favela, we are also currently working with 6 individuals more in shelters, to help them find a full-time, permanent job.
* Favela has and continues to contact several employment agencies, explaining the unique situations with Homelessness, and more of them will be working with Favela’s clients (the Homeless working with us, are referred as clients).
* Favela has and continues to contact several businesses in the hospitality and restaurant industries in Miami Beach, about job placement. They now understand the unique situation with Homelessness and will give our clients the job opportunity.
* As a result of Favela’s advocacy, several restaurants in the area will be offering lunch for free or for the low cost of $5, to all Favela’s employees, which are Homeless individuals living in shelters.
There are so many more stories like this, these are just a few of them. We plan on updating this regularly so you can see the impact you make on those in need.
NOVEMBER 2022
SUMMARY OF SERVICES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
* 3 of the 4 employees hired, completed the 32 hours successfully. They provided a great service, their testimonios were beneficial on reassuring the Homeless to go seek shelter, among other services our City offers.
* 1 of the employees was also hired on a seasonal employment referred by Favela Miami.
* All 4 employees were active, with good attitude, respectful of the other Homeless individuals. They all were very helpful with their testimonials.
* As a result of our outreach efforts, 1 Homeless was placed in shelter through Favela Miami.
* Favela has engaged with over 80 Homeless individuals on the streets.
* I was informed by my employees that 4 Homeless individuals that were contacted and engaged, were placed in shelter thru our efforts.
* 1 Homeless individual engaged by Favela, obtained employment and housing, according to what one of our employees indicated.
* Mr. Orlando Martinez, who is one of Miami Beach’s chronically Homeless individuals, after being engaged by Favela Miami, came to the office, and Hector indicated to me, that this was the 1st time he came to the office.
DECEMBER 2022
SUMMARY OF SERVICES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
* 1 employee applied for the Lazarus Project position, since he has a nursing degree.
* 1 sheltered individual was hired as a receptionist in a hair salon, through Favela’s referral.
* 1 young new homeless individual went into rehab, as a result of Favela’s engagement
* A previous employee that completed the 32 hours, was discharged from the shelter, as a result of Favela’s engagement, he is now in another shelter, with a strong social worker. He will be enrolling at MDC to further his education while still looking for permanent full-time employment.
* 1 lady, friends with one of the individuals that worked with Favela, requested shelter due to weather and as a result of Favela’s engagement.
* We have connected an ex-employee with an agency that needed someone for a temp seasonal job.
* Both employees were active, with good attitude, respectful of the other Homeless individuals. They all were very helpful with their testimonials.
* Favela engaged with over 70 Homeless individuals on the streets.
* Favela gave a guitar with a case to a client, for work purposes and to help him avoid panhandling.
JANUARY 2023
SUMMARY OF SERVICES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
* As a result of Favela’s constant engagement with a mentally ill, female homeless individual, she relocated with family. The relocation was done by HOT.
* 3 of previous Favela’s outreach employees are engaged in temporary jobs.
* A client from Ohio is waiting for shelter as a result of Favela’s engagement. Favela gave him a bicycle and he is currently working with DoorDash
* As a result of Favela’s activities, previous FM employee was placed in a permanent position with American Airlines Arena.
* Favela has and continues to contact several employment agencies, explaining the unique situations with Homelessness, and they will be working with FM clients.
* Favela has and continues to contact several businesses in the hospitality and restaurant business in Miami Beach, about job placement. They now understand the unique situations with Homelessness and will give our clients the job opportunity.
FEBRUARY 2023
SUMMARY OF SERVICES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
* Favela has and continues to contact several employment agencies, explaining the unique situations with Homelessness, and they will be working with FM clients.
* Favela has and continues to contact several businesses in the hospitality and restaurant business in Miami Beach, about job placement. They now understand the unique situations with Homelessness and will give our clients the job opportunity.
* One company will provide build Resumes at no cost to Favela, the City of Miami Beach and our clients.
* One company will provide free video introduction to be use for jobs interviews to Favela’s and the CMB clients.
* The 1st Sanitation worker was hired. On his 2nd day he already “recruited” 1 Homeless individual to go back to shelter. In addition to clean the streets, he is successfully engaging the local Homeless population, talking about the benefits of the shelters and the job opportunities. Sanitation has been very kind and allows him to extend his engagement to SoundScape Park.
* As a result of Favela’s advocacy, several restaurants in the area will be offering lunch for free or for the low cost of $5, to all Favela’s employees.
MARCH 2023
SUMMARY OF SERVICES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
* The Feb-March 1st employee in Sanitation, finished his month and did an outstanding job in cleaning, interacting with the Homeless and educating about keeping the streets clean.
* His co-workers as well his superior, have enjoyed his presence
* A permanent position with Sanitation may be in place shortly.
* A 2nd Sanitation employee was hired, on this 2nd day he asked permission to cover a bigger area, therefore he will also clean another block.
* Business owners on Washington between 16th & Lincoln, notice the difference.
APRIL & MAY 2023SUMMARY OF SERVICES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
* The employee hired this month was displaced from his shelter, at his fault, but unintended. This employee would not have been able to be hire if not in shelter. Due to Favela Miami’s engagement, he was given a 2nd chance and the shelter took him back, therefore he was able to be hired.
* Due to Favela’s advocacy, 19 individuals living in shelters (some from the CMB program, others not), were given the opportunity to a permanent full-time job.
* 7 of those individuals were hired.
JUNE 2023
SUMMARY OF SERVICES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
* Due to Favela Miami’s engagement with the community and the businesses, 6 more potential employees were sent for interview with the cleaning company
* A new employee was hired; he is very good with outreaching and connecting with the Homeless on the streets. He also enjoys educating them about keeping the streets and the bay clean.
* He is also very communicative with business owners and employees. They like him.
JULY 2023
SUMMARY OF SERVICES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
* One of the referred potential candidate, is way above a sanitation job and not a good candidate for homeless interaction, therefore we have been working on finding him a job on his area of expertise. He has just passed the drug test & background check for a tech company, for a part-time position and we will keep working on getting a full-time position. He was also hired for another temporary part-time position.
* Allante & Terance: both finished with their resume, and I have been sending to my contacts. Both are looking for a cooking position.
* Shamont: has also expressed interest in a cooking job. Unfortunately, he has been in & out the hospital and has not been very responsive. After 2 months we have completed his Resume and are job hunting.
AUGUST 2023
SUMMARY OF SERVICES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: