Volunteers bring holiday cheer to homeless shelter on Christmas

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Nicholas Caceres
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOMESTEAD, Fla. --  Every year Airmen give back to the local community in various ways; food drives, donations, and charity events are only a few examples of ways to get involved and help others.

For the second year in a row, members of Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., and their families visited the Chapman Partnership Homeless Assistance Center's Homestead location on Christmas day to serve over 300 meals and assist with various holiday activities. Outside, children played games for prizes, jumped in bounce houses, and had their faces painted.

"I enjoy meeting with fellow Airmen who share the same interest of doing selfless acts during the holidays and to educate my own children in the gift of giving," says Master Sgt. Francisco Navarro, 482nd Fighter Wing Honor Guard superintendent.

Navarro's daughter dressed up as an elf, and helped Santa during the event.

The togetherness and value of a family unit displayed by various HARB members, as well as the feeling of passing on the kindness and goodwill associated with the season was great, said Master Sgt. Earlvine Fort, 482nd Fighter Wing Force Management chief.

"We hope to expose more young Airmen to opportunities to reach out and be a part of the community," said Navarro. "It's a worthy cause, not just for those less fortunate, but for those of us in uniform as well."

Reaching out to those less fortunate often brings out the best in people, said Navarro. One might find their challenges or troubles may not be as bad as someone else's. He said it helps people to put their own lives into perspective.

"The greatest example of hope comes from sharing a little of ourselves so that others may find a reason to overcome their challenges," said Navarro. "We lead by example, and hope something is shared through our volunteerism."

Chapman Partnership operates two Homeless Assistance Centers with 800 beds located in Miami and Homestead. They help the homeless by providing a comprehensive support program that includes emergency housing, meals, health, dental and psychiatric care, day care, job training, job placement and assistance with securing stable housing.

Since 1995, Chapman Partnership has had more than 96,000 admissions including 19,000 children in Miami-Dade County and a 63% success rate of moving people from homelessness to self-sufficiency.