Can you help?
During a summer face-covering drive with Miami-Dade County Libraries, the Homeless Trust received a pack of handmade cards.
The cards were from a brother and sister duo, Amelia and Alejandro, but there was no last name and little information to identify them—just fun riddles and jokes, perfect for quarantined kids:
"Hello! I wanted to let you know that someone is thinking of you today! I hope you are having a great day and staying safe. I also have a riddle for you: How do you make the number one disappear? Add the letter g and its ‘gone.’ You are so loved, don’t forget how unique you are. "
Our super sleuth team was able to ascertain the following clues:
- Amelia is an incoming freshman at FIU this year.
- Alejandro is a high school senior.
That’s all we know! We need more super-sleuths to help us solve mystery. Anyone with information regarding the sibling set is encouraged to reach out to the Homeless Trust via Dani@m.network.
The cards were donated to the children at Lotus House Women’s Shelter and the homemade masks were handed out by outreach teams and shelters to clients, those living on the streets and those in quarantine and isolation (Q&I) sites. Over 1,600 individuals have gone through the Trust’s Q&I sites over the course of the year!
On the topic of amazing young people, a shout out to M.A.S.T.@Homestead senior, Jeiselli Archer, who hand sewed over 100 face coverings for the drive. “I was inspired to create masks for the homeless when I realized it would contribute to creating a safer community,” said Jeiselli. “Masks are important because without any sort of protection, the homeless are vulnerable to contracting the virus.”
The M.A.S.T senior spent hours hand stitching filters into each one before dropping them off at her nearest library. When asked what advice she would give to other student volunteers, Jeiselli said, “I believe they should find an issue they are passionate about and get involved.”
Volunteers like Jeiselli, Amelia and Alejandro have helped the Homeless Trust focus on COVID prevention within the Continuum of Care. COVID rates in the sheltered homeless population have remained under 2 percent since the pandemic first began in February and extensive testing has been conducted both in shelters and on the streets.