Jose "Pepe" Antonio Ortega left behind a legacy of love, integrity, determination and generosity. Born in Havana, Cuba in 1929, he moved to Puerto Rico before settling in Miami with his wife, Lucila, and children Maria Elena and Pepe Jr., in 1976....
Adam Old was tired of seeing the plastic bags, water bottles and other garbage clogging up his neighborhood’s waterways – not only creating a major eyesore, but also endangering the animals that call it home. So when The Miami Foundation launched the 2018 Public Space...
Last year, I had the opportunity to visit a local prison through Exchange for Change, a Miami-based nonprofit that teaches writing in prisons and runs letter exchanges between incarcerated students and classes at local high schools and universities. They hosted a talent showcase featuring more...
In the days after Hurricane Maria swept through Puerto Rico, leaving the island crippled and in the dark, San Juan-native Karla Peña, faced her own bleak reality. “My husband lost his job. The nonprofit pet rescue I ran was essentially out of business. And our...
Editor’s Note: The Miami Foundation's Emerging Philanthropist Award annually celebrates a 40-or-under donor who uses charitable giving to drive measurable results around a local cause, broadly improve the lives of Miamians and encourage others to give. The hope is that the award inspires other rising philanthropic leaders...
Editor’s note: We are pleased to honor Michele King Soffer, a great Miamian, for her selfless dedication to help those who need it most, as our 2018 Donor Next Door honoree. Below is the short piece that appeared in the Donor Next Door Family Album. Michele...
Editor’s Note: Nadege Green, WLRN’s social justice reporter, is the 2018 Ruth Shack Leadership Award honoree. Here, Ryan Pontier shares why he submitted the nomination for her. I remember Nadege weaving a story and dialogue that was so raw and real that I could hear a...
With grant support from The Miami Foundation and others, a group of about 40 students of color went to Washington, D.C, and attended the “March For Our Lives.” Along the way, they took part in a town hall at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta and...
An avid kayaker, Dave Doebler was out paddling in Biscayne Bay one day when he saw trash floating in the water. He instinctively picked it up to toss when he returned to shore. The following week, he did it again. Then, he did it again....
What would he be doing if he were still alive? That’s a question I often think about. Nearly 20 years ago, my older brother, Alan, lost his life in a car accident at the age of 18. I find myself musing about whether he would...