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Open Door Health Clinic provides free health care.
Visit their website at www.opendoorhc.org.
Cornerstone Church meets in the Open House Ministry
Center. Cornerstone Cafe opens at 10:00 a.m. Sunday.
Worship is at 10:30 a.m.
Who Are We?
Open House Ministries (OHM) is a joint venture between
the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) of Florida
and the CBF Resource Center in Atlanta. The mission
of OHM is to express God's love by embracing, serving,
and empowering the disadvantaged in the Homestead/Florida
City communities. It is the desire of OHM to fulfill
its mission by creating a Christian ministries network,
revitalizing the community through holistic services,
and helping to strengthen families in the community.
A Collaborative Effort
OHM is a tax-exempt, not for profit ministry who understands
that it cannot transform the community on its own. Without
God's leadership, and the commitment and collaboration
of other faith-based and like-minded ministries, OHM
would be ineffective in its mission. To that end, OHM
works together in partnerships with churches, universities,
seminaries, health care providers, social service ministries,
and other organizations to make a difference in Christ's
name.
Why Homestead?
The bordering communities of Homestead and Florida City
are located at the far south end of Florida, in southern
Dade County. These communities were almost completely
destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Andrew left behind
such devastation that over one-third of the population
moved out of the area and chose not to rebuild. The
CBF and the CBF of Florida assisted with disaster relief
and the rebuilding of homes in the Homestead/Florida
City area. After the immediate needs were met, the CBF
and the CBF of Florida decided to have a permanent presence
in this very poor farming community. Since 1992, the
population has slowly built back up and is approaching
the size it once was in 1991. Homestead is home to a
vast number of migrant farm workers, most of whom are
Latino, while Florida City is predominantly Haitian
and African-American. Open House Ministries is located
on the West side of Homestead, where the majority of
residents live at or below the national federal poverty
level.
Our Ministries
Open Door Health Center
The Homestead/Florida City communities have one of the
nation's highest rates of medically uninsured individuals
per capita. Open Door Health Center, which operates
out of OHM, is a full service medical clinic available
to the uninsured of the community. A mobile Pediatric
Clinic is on site twice a month. Six full time medical
professionals, along with volunteer doctors and nurses,
and medical and nursing students from University of
Miami and Barry University staff the clinic. Open Door
Health Center serves an average of 48 patients every
day, most of whom are migrant workers. All of the Clinic's
patients are treated regardless of their immigrant status.
Person's holding a current license to practice medicine,
nursing, or pharmacy can request an application packet
from OHM to volunteer their time and skills with the
Clinic by contacting our Volunteer Coordinator Richie
Hines at richiehines@msn.com,
or at (305) 242-1418.
Click here to read an interview
with Dr. Soto.
Summer Camp
Open House Ministries partners with Weed & Seed-a
community-based program to weed out drugs and seed children
for success-to run a summer camp program for children
in the neighborhood. Most of the children come from
the 4-low income housing projects and migrant camp neighboring
the Center. The majority of these children are Latino,
African-American, and Haitian. The camp runs for ten
weeks and usually begins as soon as school ends and
continues until school begins again in the fall. This
camp is made possible by the help of volunteer groups
who are given the opportunity to develop a Bible-based
curriculum and plan the activities for one week. The
dates for next summer are June 16- August 22. Groups
can begin signing up now for 2003 by contacting our
Volunteer Coordinator Richie Hines at richiehines@msn.com,
or at (305) 242-1418.
After School Program
Open House Ministries needs tables and chairs so it
can offer an after school program for the children of
Homestead. OHM will begin running an on-site after school
program for the children in the neighborhood in the
fall of 2002. This program will provide children with
a healthy snack, help with homework, tutoring in a variety
of subjects, and offer a place where they can consistently
and personally experience Christ's love.
98% of Homestead's children live in Poverty.
50% will never graduate from High School.
For $250 you, your Sunday school class, or your church
can sponsor a table and chairs to seat 10 children in
our after school program.
Just $25 could allow us to serve one more child!
To sponsor a child in our after school program, please
contact our Director of Ministries Lindsi Hines at lindsihines@msn.com,
or at (305) 242-1418.
English as a Second Language, the Clothes Closet Ministry,
and the Food Pantry are some of the other ministries
run by OHM. If you are interested in contributing to
or making donations to any of these projects or any
of our special events, please contact our Director of
Ministries, Lindsi Hines at lindsihines@msn.com,
or at (305) 242-1418.
Make a Difference
Churches, groups, and individuals can help in a tangible
way by becoming prayer partners, volunteers, or financial
partners.
- We need your prayers for the ministry center staff,
for the individuals, organizations, and churches that
minister to the community through our facility. Please
pray specifically for the residents of our community
that as their physical needs are met, they might encounter
Christ and their lives be transformed.
- Volunteers are vital to the success of our ministry.
God's work in Homestead is made possible only through
those willing to come be the hands and feet of Jesus,
obeying His command to care for "the least of
these.
- You can also help minister to our community's physical
needs by becoming a financial partner in South Florida
Ministries. Our partners are individuals, groups,
and churches who pledge their financial support to
enable God's work to continue at Open House Ministries
and throughout the Homestead/Florida City community.
Information packets about becoming partners with us
in ministry are available upon request. Call (305)242-1418.
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