At the beginning of October, I started a GoFundMe to raise money and awareness for the Miami Rescue Mission. One month and seven donations later, we are only $5 away from our goal. Thank you to everyone who has donated to the campaign. To be honest, I didn’t know what kind of response I would get. I knew that homelessness around Miami was an issue. I knew that I wanted to help those who are homeless in some way, but I didn’t know how to do so. In researching ways that I could give back, I came across the work that the Miami Rescue Mission is doing. It immediately resonated with me. Simply, give people the space and the nourishment they need to be the best that they could be. So, unbelievably simple. But it goes a long way.

While the Miami Rescue Mission is providing some excellent work for the Miami-Dade area, I know they aren’t the only ones. If you’re looking for a good cause to donate to check out the below organizations, all of which are in Charity Navigator’s Top 5 rankings for Miami and beyond:

Boca Helping Hands

Like the Miami Rescue Mission, Boca Helping Hands provides groceries and hot meals to those who need them most, including the homeless, elderly, and homebound disabled.

 

Place of Hope

Place of Hope aims to help children and families get the support they need to live a healthy, safe life. They do this by providing a number of services including family-style foster care; family outreach and intervention; maternity care; and foster care recruitment and support.

 

The Lord’s Place

The job market is a distant reality for those who are homeless. The Lord’s Place recognizes this and aims to help people break out of homeless by providing job training, transitional work experience, and employment to those who would otherwise not have the opportunity to work.

Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired

As the name implies the Miami Lighthouse assists those who are blind and visually impaired by providing a number initiatives including the Florida Heiken Program to help children in need to get glasses free of charge, a music program that educates the visually impaired, and children’s services to help teens transition into adulthood.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Miami

The national association has a chapter in Miami and it continues on the same great work that it does elsewhere. Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Miami matches kids with committed mentors that support them reaching their fullest potential.

 

If there are any other charities you’d like to add to the list, please feel free to leave a comment.

Thanks,

Bryan Lockley