Armando Codina arrived in the United States at age 14 from his native Cuba via Operation Peter Pan, a program that resettled thousands of children stateside during the Castro regime. Alone, and with no knowledge of English, he was sent to an orphanage and lived...
This month, we mark one year since Hurricane Irma left devastation in its wake throughout the Greater Miami region and Caribbean islands. Local nonprofits and generous donors have played a significant role in helping Miami-Dade and neighboring areas bounce back. Even as the storm loomed,...
In the bedroom community of West Kendall, residents Juan David Rey and Wendy Caraballo, are on a mission to make neighbors want to stay and play. They’re behind a series of events aimed at bringing more arts, culture and outdoor entertainment options to their southwest...
I grew up in rural Michigan, where I would spend hours playing outside. I would climb trees, explore deep in the woods and collect frogs and fireflies during the summer. I loved learning about nature and simply being in nature. I also developed a sense...
In the midst of a crisis that looms larger than life, what seems minor can make a major difference. Take, for instance, the Puerto Rico high school senior who, last fall, found herself attending Miami Edison Senior High School. One of the hundreds of students forced...
For me, books open up a whole world of creativity, imagination and learning. I can be in my room reading and the next thing I know, I’m on Mars eating S’mores with aliens. So, when I was visiting the Bahamas with my parents and I...
How’d you get to Miami? What keeps you here? What do you care about in our community? What can we do to improve it? Simple questions that give a window into your life in Miami-Dade and connection to this place we call home. Every one...
You wouldn’t start watching a football game in the third quarter, so why would you wait until November to vote? Most of the decisions that affect residents’ lives happen at the local level. And voters will have a chance to make their voice heard on...
Millennials – those born between 1980 and 2000 – are changing the philanthropic landscape. These young adults are oriented toward the future, with a strong sense of familial and social responsibility. They have shown a strong drive to bring about social change. They are generous...
They did whatever needed doing. In the days after two Category 5 hurricanes slammed into the U.S. Virgin Islands—first Hurricane Irma, which tore off roofs and busted windows; then, Hurricane Maria, which brought storm surge and weeks of heavy rain—the local nonprofit, My Brother’s Workshop,...