Opinion: Preserve Core Nutrition Programs in Miami-Dade

The need for core nutrition services hits close to home in Miami-Dade County, where nearly one in six children is food insecure. Behind that statistic are families doing everything right — working two jobs, caring for an elderly parent, stretching a paycheck — and still coming up short at the grocery store.

I lead the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and like many small-business owners and parents I talk with, I see a county budget as more than numbers. It’s a moral ledger. It shows what we protect when money is tight. This year, I’m asking our leaders to make one clear choice: don’t harm core nutrition services.

This is about the food lifelines that keep kids ready to learn, seniors healthy, and hourly workers able to show up for their shift. When the pantry is empty, the cost doesn’t disappear. It shows up as missed work, emergency room visits, and children who struggle to focus in class.

Three trusted partners make the stakes real. Farm Share, the backbone distributor that keeps dozens of local pantries stocked, could lose significant funding under the current proposal. Jewish Community Services (JCS), including the JCS Kosher Food Bank, which supports hundreds of families, Holocaust survivors, and children, also faces a funding reduction. And at Catholic Charities’ Matthew 25 Food Pantry, Local 10 News documented lines of more than a thousand people, including families, being turned away when supplies ran short.

As pantry leadership told Local 10, “The budget is under review and there will be some cuts to the local food bank Farm Share, which is one of our main partners that provides us with food at this pantry.” In a separate report, the pantry director explained they serve about 2,000 people (and roughly 300 new faces) a month and warned that “sometimes even now we still have to turn people away.” Those people aren’t abstract; they are our neighbors.

“Do no harm” is a simple, compassionate step with big practical impact. For one fiscal year, carve out essential nutrition, food distributions for families and seniors, from the broad community-based organization reductions. Keep the lights on for the highest-producing networks that prevent hunger from spreading.

This choice also respects taxpayers. Keeping a family food secure is far less expensive than paying for avoidable emergencies later. A parent who can put dinner on the table is more likely to stay healthy, keep their job, and help their child succeed in school. For employers across Miami-Dade, that reliability matters — especially in a tight labor market. Compassion and common sense point to the same answer.

There’s also a clear process for being heard. The first budget hearing is Thursday, September 4, at 5:01 p.m. The final hearing is Thursday, September 18, at 5:01 p.m. If you run a small business that depends on a steady workforce, if you volunteer at a pantry, if you’ve ever stood in one of those lines, these are opportunities to share what a cut would mean for your family, employees, or the seniors on your block.

I understand the size of the shortfall and the hard choices before the commission. But some priorities define who we are. Organizations like Farm Share, JCS and its Kosher Food Bank, and Catholic Charities’ Matthew 25 Food Pantry are lifelines for thousands of Miami-Dade’s working families, children, and seniors. Preserving these core nutrition services is the most efficient, pro-work, and humane decision Miami-Dade can make.

A budget is a statement of what we refuse to let fail. This year, let’s refuse to let hunger spread. Let’s choose dignity, stability, and opportunity for every neighbor who calls this county home.