Time flies! We’re almost halfway through the year. Again, today we celebrate another Father’s Day. From the entire TGBC family, we wish a happy, prosperous, and healthy Father’s Day to all TGBC dads who come and serve in our community week after week. We are so honored to work hand in hand with you toward creating a movement designed to love, serve, and empower those in need.
Every Friday, TGBC members, volunteers from churches such as The Seventh Day Adventist Church and Family Church, students from Palm Beach Atlantic University, and neighbors of West Palm Beach gather in locations with heavy concentrations of homeless people. The purpose of these nights is not only to provide basic needs of our friends in the streets (food, clothing, medical help, etc.) but to start journeys of genuine relationships.
When I started volunteering at The Give Back Community, I was very nervous because I always struggled to strike up a conversation with someone I didn’t know at all. At the same time, I was so excited to do something that I had thought about doing before, but I did not have the courage. On my first day, seeing how our homeless friends greeted TGBC members effusively gave me the confidence I needed it to share that same energy and love with them. One of the first friendship relationships I created in the Clematis location was with Esteban (68) and his wife Mayra (68). They are from Cuba.
In their twenties, they escaped from the communist regime and arrived in Miami in 1969. He and his father escaped from Cuba in a boat, hoping to seek a better quality of life. After some time, Estebans father passed away unfortunately. His first years in the United States were rough due to his immigration situation and English skills, but that was no excuse for him to stop looking for opportunities.
He worked here and there, but it was not until 1981 that Esteban started working for the Miami Metrorail and dedicated 28 years of his life to that agency. While he was working, Mayra raised their four children. He gave the best of his years to his family as well. In 2009, Esteban retired from work, and he decided to spend more quality time with Mayra and their children. Some years passed by, and their children were all grown and they formed their own families.
In 2018/19, Esteban and Mayra did not have enough money to pay for rent and became homeless. Because of that, Esteban and Mayra decided to leave Miami and start a new life in West Palm Beach.
They spent four years living in the streets. I met Esteban and Mayra in the third trimester of 2021, and since then, we have communicated very often and provided as much as help as possible. Because of efforts from the volunteers of TGBC and a miracle from God, they found a small apartment to live in West Palm Beach a few months ago. The Give Back Community helped Esteban and Mayra all the way through this process.
There are many success stories like this. If you want to start a journey of serving and changing other’s lives, please click on the link below:
Go Beyond,
Andres Manrique
