Many agencies and organizations in Miami Dade are providing support for the community through different services. One of those organizations that is making an impact is City Reach Ministries. Miami is a city in need of solutions for the great homeless and low income population; people who are in need of assistance from diverse resources within the community.
Established in 2002, City Reach Ministries is a faith based corporation operating out of West Kendall in South Miami. Their services range from food resources, clothing, referrals to outside agencies, free conversational English training twice a month, and various other classes and workshops.
City Reach Ministries also works with SIMA (Centro de avance para el immigrante) that provides help for immigrants in the community. They pride themselves in embracing all people in different situations and all walks of life “seeking hope and encouragement”.
Having a variety of resources available to the community strengthens its people and gives them the tools needed to enable and empower them to become independent, productive members of society. Many people who reach out to City Reach Ministries are in need of support and they try to go beyond for those in crisis. They service their local community but do welcome people from all over Miami.
I got the chance to speak to the program director of City Reach Ministries, Odalys Penton, to get a better understanding of how City Reach Ministries impacts the Miami Dade community. Odalys Penton and the pastor Dennis Penton, President of Pure Heart Christian Center, are a husband and wife team that had a vision 16 years ago to “provide tangible needs in the community”. They first rented a warehouse and operated five years out of this warehouse, now having a corporation that provides help and resources to individuals in need. So to get to know Odalys Penton and what City Reach Ministries represents I asked some questions that can provide insight into what they do.
How does City Reach Ministries stand out and make a difference in Miami Dade?
Odalys Penton- “We are a coorporation in the community established to meet the tangible needs of individuals going through crisis and needing support. We have stability, having 15 years strong, operating out of the South Florida area. We do not discriminate and embrace all faiths and people from everywhere. We strive hard to provide assistance through food resources and workshops, ect, free of charge. By doing this we can assist in resolving our client’s immediate needs. We serve over 350 families a month with our diverse resources.”
What made you start this ministry?
Odalys Penton- “We would like to spread the message of Christ though our ministry. That people in our community can receive the love of Christ through having their needs met. It is important for my husband and I as leaders to work hard in making sure people in the community in need are being acknowledged by providing all these programs that can enrich their lives. My husband is also a part of Compassion and Action an organization that works in remote parts of the world where there is no church presence. They connect a local pastor in the US with a church for a foreign mission. Currently they have several churches in Dominican Republic that they work closely with and in other countries that face extreme poverty. The resources they provide include a medical team, food resources and volunteers who preach about the love of Christ.”
City Reach Ministries is available who are all in need in the Miami Dade area. They welcome you with open arms, so do not hesitate to ask for help! They have food distribution every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7PM and free bread and pastries Monday-Friday 9-4PM (except Thursday).
Farm Share, BJ’s, and Publix provide donations of quality foods to the community through City Reach Ministries!
City Reach Ministries’ contact information is:
12236 SW 128st
MIami, FL 33186
305-259-7677
info@cityreachministries.com
If you would like to help City Reach Ministries you can volunteer. Volunteers are welcome from all over to participate in helping the community.
They are in need of a 16 food truck to transport the food from the pick up to drop off location. Please contact them if you are able to help them with this donation.
