Thanks to the support of the The Pepsi Co. Foundation and the Community Recovery Fund, MUJER has served as a resource center for residents in south Miami–Dade’s communities. During the month of May, MUJER was “presente” as we led a variety of activities to raise awareness, and provide personal protective equipment (PPE) and financial assistance to families who were hurt the most during the COVID-19 shutdowns. 

Farmworkers who live at their worksite were educated on why getting counted in the Census is important to getting coronavirus recovery dollars in rural communities like ours. These families pledged to complete their Census this year.  

MUJER aimed to assist undocumented family members who were not eligible for federal CARES Act relief. We searched for these families to offer our help with basic needs and got to meet Guadalupe and her children. 

Guadalupe’s family posed for this picture in May after receiving the news that her family was approved for support from MUJER’s Emergency Relief Fund. “As an undocumented single mother, I faced a challenging situation because I couldn’t afford to pay my rent or food during the shutdown,” she shared. “I don’t qualify for public benefits so I didn’t know what I was going to do. My case manager at MUJER called and helped me to apply for the fund and I was approved for $752 in rental assistance and received a $500 gift card for groceries. What a blessing.” 

MUJER remains committed to serving as a reputable resource center for our community. We provide counseling and legal services to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. During this time, we are engaging our community members through phone calls, therapy sessions, PPE distributions and Emergency Relief Fund assistance, among other services so that our community knows we’re here for them. 

Saul Aleman is the community outreach coordinator for MUJER.