Village’s Sister City Initiative, Partner Charities Step Up to Meet Food Needs in Liberty City during COVID-19 Pandemic

275 bags of produce filled with mangoes, mamey, bananas, zucchini and squash were packed and delivered to Charles R. Drew K-8 in Liberty City (Key News/Andrew Britton)

Several major food distribution programs were successfully launched last week in Liberty City in response to the food insecurity faced by families due to COVID-19. 

The Key Biscayne Community Foundation and Key Biscayne Police Chief Charles Press’ Chief Press Foundation have teamed up with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Farm Share, United Way and Hearts of Palm to provide 600 bags of produce each week to Liberty City families. 

The produce bags complement the grab-and-go meals available for the community at Charles R. Drew K-8 Center and Brownsville Middle School. 

Principal Marcus Miller and his team helped unload the produce truck and fill the Brownsville Middle School cafeteria with produce bags (Key News/Andrew Britton)

Organizers describe a fantastic team effort. 

Farm Share provides the produce, which is then transported in bulk by the Chief Press Foundation to the Hearts of Palm catering space. There, United Way volunteers unload the produce, repackage it for families in bags funded by KBCF, and then reload it for delivery to participating schools in Liberty City.

In addition, the foundations have partnered with World Central Kitchen, Wellness in the Schools, Himan Brown Charitable Trust and Michael Schwartz Catering to distribute 4,000 prepared meals throughout Liberty City each week.  CEO of the program Nancy Easton said, “This is a great display of teamwork and I am honored to be a small part of this team that is making it happen for families in Liberty City.”

Angel Johnson unloads one of 4200 meals delivered to families in Liberty City on a weekly basis during COVID-19 (Key News/Key News Contributor)

Local partners such as Girl Power and Liberty Square identified the families in need, and meals prepared by Michael Schwartz Catering are delivered three times a week, either to program sites for distribution or directly to families’ doorsteps.

Organizers say the response has been overwhelmingly positive, with families expressing gratitude for the efforts.

Meanwhile, Chief Press has been organizing a food drive in the Village and personally delivers the donations to families in Liberty City with the help of Love Moving, LLC. Chief Press shared: “I am so proud to be able to continue the foundation work with my other family, Liberty City! Thanks to the residents of Key Biscayne who remember that we are in this world together and continue to support the work of the Chief Press Foundation.”

If you would like to donate non-perishable goods, please contact cpress@kbpd.net.

The Rotary Club of Key Biscayne donated $3,500 to the Chief Press Foundation for food distribution in Liberty City. 

These efforts fall under the Sister City Initiative between the Village of Key Biscayne and Liberty City. 

In 2013, building upon Chief Press’ decade worth of service to Liberty City, the Village formally launched the Sister City Initiative with the objective of improving outcomes for children and families in Liberty City while providing opportunities for residents of each community to grow, learn and care about one another.