Florida Homestead Emerges as Lifeline Amid Rising Homeless Challenges

Quick Smiles:

• Gloria Vargas feeds 175-200 people weekly from her waitress salary.
• Family adds uplifting messages and ministers to those in need.
• Nonprofit now provides daily meals plus housing and transport.

A Florida waitress from Barbados has served over 270,000 meals to the homeless since 2012, alongside her husband and two sons.

Gloria Vargas started small from her Fort Lauderdale home, buying spaghetti and ground beef for 40 meals that quickly grew.

“I started with buying a little bit of spaghetti and ground beef, and I started with 40 meals,” said the 62-year-old woman. “The next week it went to 60 meals, 80 meals. Before you know it, I was at 200 meals every weekend.”

She buys huge amounts of chicken, fish, produce, rice, bread, and water to nourish crowds.

Her sons write “God loves you” or scriptures on each Styrofoam lid while listening to stories.

During COVID-19, she expanded to 600 meals across Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

“When it’s cold, when it’s windy, when it’s raining, it doesn’t matter. We have to show up,” Vargas said.

With a Byers Foundation grant, Care in Action USA now prepares 120 breakfasts and 125 dinners daily, distributed in under 40 minutes.

The family helps with rent, utilities, clothes, bus passes, and more.

Husband Antonio fixes cars for free and drives people to appointments.

“My husband can make so much more money doing the job he does, but he takes homeless people to appointments,” said Vargas.

They’ve opened a transitional home housing eight employed men.

“With the help of friends, volunteers, religious leaders, and organizations who partner with us in caring for the needy, we’re making a difference one person at a time.”

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