Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Miami Herald (MH) - Thursday, March 26, 1998
Kevin Paul; Herald Writer
The organization opened its second food distribution center, at 420 Lincoln Road, Suite 250. The center is a food bank, where food is delivered and clients come to pick it up.
"Our original food bank was opened in Allapattah and the program was very successful, but some of our clients were having a hard time getting to it," said Peter Ramos, the executive director of the FFLN. "If you lived in North Dade, Homestead and Miami Beach you had to carry the food back on a bike or on a bus, and that is difficult, and this satellite will help to alleviate some of those difficulties."
The FFLN is a nonprofit organization that was started to help get food into the hands of needy people living with HIV/AIDS. The FFLN is the only organization in Dade County dedicated to feeding people with AIDS.
"We've been doing this for 11 years," Ramos said. "We're a nonprofit organization, what we do is feed people with AIDS, we do it through three different ways, one is a home delivery service that brings the food to people who are sick with HIV. Two is the food bank program and the third is nutritional education, where a nutritionist sits with a client and discusses nutritional needs and goals, and finds a way to reach those goals."
The organization is looking toward future expansion. The only roadblock to that would be people -- not enough of them. The network uses mostly volunteer labor to staff its centers and handle other jobs.
"This program has been very successful, we started off at 50 people, and within five years we have grown to 300 people," Ramos said. "We're planning on opening a bank in North Dade, and hopefully in Hialeah by the end of April, but we have only 13 staff members and it's a big job. And we could use more volunteers. They are mainly the reason why we can get the food to the people."
Those who use the network are glad for what they get now.
"I just recently moved to Miami Beach and getting to the Allapattah bank was an all-day thing," said Terry Lee, a client of the FFLN. "I think it's great, it helps to get me and others food. Otherwise, I wouldn't have the money to buy the food."
HOW TO HELP
The new Food For Life Network center is at 420 Lincoln Rd., Suite 250. For more information, or if you are interested in donating or volunteering, call (305) 576-3663.
CAPTION: photo: Peter Ramos and Mario Malave pack a box of food for a client (a)
RANDY BAZEMORE / Herald Staff FOOD FOR LIFE: Peter Ramos, left, executive director of the Food For Life Network, and Mario Malave, client services representative, pack a box of food for a client.
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