Born from a storm after Hurricane Andrew destroyed Homestead, Florida, Open House Ministries is now known in its community as “God’s spot” and offers help from the daily storms of life that local residents face.

Open House Ministries is a faith-based collaboration of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida, CBF Resource Center in Atlanta, and partner churches, organizaions and individuals. We strive to demonstrate God’s love in real and concrete ways in the Homestead/Florida City area.

Open House Ministries began as disaster relief following Hurricane Andrew in 1992 when Homestead and Florida City were almost completely destroyed and even today 32% of our neighbors still live below the national poverty level. Our community is very diverse, yet largely segregated yet Open House Ministries is “common ground.”

Today, more than 100 children and youth participate weekly in WISE-UP, an after-school program for elementary students, and JAM (Jesus and Me), a Bible study for teenagers. Ten adult students learn English as a second language while their pre-school children are reading with another teacher.

Each week 30 families visit La Tienda, Open House’s Thrift Store, to purchase clothing and household items for only a quarter per item. Families receive assistance as needed through the emergency food pantry. A new initiative is called Tropical Treasures, an enterprise that promotes self-sufficiency and affirms the skills of local youth by marketing jewelry and other artistic products they have designed and created.

Beyond the direct ministries of Open House, it also provides space to a free health clinic, a social service agency and a grassroots community development organization.

Volunteers help operate the after-school programs as well as the summer camps.

Contact Wanda Ashworth: (305) 242-1418.

Visit Open House Ministries website.