Hialeah seniors get a new location for meals and activities in center at La Carreta

Three months after Hialeah seniors lost access to a longtime senior center at Goodlet Park, the Little Havana Activities & Nutrition Centers are returning to the city with a new place to serve them.

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The nonprofit, which had operated the Goodlet Park center for years, will provide meals, activities and other senior services from the second floor of La Carreta Restaurant on West 16th Avenue through a new public-private partnership arranged by Miami-Dade County Commissioner René Garcia, whose district includes much of Hialeah.

The new location comes after Hialeah Mayor Bryan Calvo notified Little Havana in an April 27 letter that it had 30 days to vacate the Goodlet Park facility. The building was constructed in the 1980s with the original intent of providing senior services through the nonprofit.

Little Havana is now operating at a new site at 5350 W. 16th Ave., on the second floor, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Seniors receive breakfast and lunch, and those who need additional food can receive a weekly box containing seven meals.

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The Goodlet Park center had been part of Hialeah’s senior community for decades. The site was created 43 years ago under former Mayor Raúl Martínez for the Little Havana organization to operate the senior program there.

Calvo cited concerns about the number of residents being served, a lack of “clear, consistent data” on meal recipients and the absence of a formal agreement, which he said created a “huge liability” for the city. He also said the facility costs the city about $700,000 a year to maintain. However, the city’s decision did not eliminate those maintenance costs, and Calvo said a new operator would not be required to pay rent.

García said the program operated by Little Havana was the first of its kind in Hialeah and credited former Mayor Raúl Martínez with bringing senior services to the city.

“Raúl Martínez was a pioneer who always stood by the elderly; he is the one who brought me here, and that is why I have always remained committed to seniors,” Garcia said. “I recognize that we, as elected officials in this community, stand on the shoulders of the people who built this city, and it is our responsibility to ensure that services remain available to them.”

Garcia said the end of Little Havana’s operation at Goodlet Park was particularly difficult because of the center’s history and the role it played in the lives of older residents.

“I knew I couldn’t let things stay that way; we cannot simply erase a community’s history just because a new administration takes office,” he said. “On the contrary, we must learn from the past to understand where we are headed in the future.”

Garcia said he committed to finding another location where Little Havana could continue providing services.

“Today brings me great happiness, joy, and honor to announce a collaboration between my office and La Carreta,” Garcia said. “I extend my heartfelt thanks to Felipe Vázquez for understanding the commitment we owe to the seniors of this community.”

About 35 seniors have already registered, the agency said. The program has funding to serve up to 100 people each day, although as many as 150 to 170 seniors could benefit from the site from time to time.

What seniors can get

Little Havana provides meals and nutrition services as well as activities and wellness programs. The organization says it has more than 50 years of experience providing services to older adults in Miami-Dade County.

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Rafael Iglesias, the president and CEO of Little Havana Activities & Nutrition Centers, said the organization’s services include its “High Risk Nutrition” program, through which eligible seniors can receive additional food to take home.

The program also offers exercise sessions and health workshops, including diabetes education and “Matter of Balance,” with classes available in English and Spanish, Iglesias said.

But he said the social aspect is just as important.

“People come to the center to have fun and become part of our family,” Iglesias said.

Iglesias said seniors must be at least 60 years old to participate. He also encouraged couples to apply together. Depending on the program, a couple may be able to participate even if only one spouse is over 60.

Seniors from other centers are switching

The new location is not attracting only people who attended Goodlet Park. The city also has senior dining programs operated through the Hialeah Housing Authority. That means seniors have multiple locations where they can seek meals and other services.

The Miami Herald spoke with several Hialeah seniors who had been receiving meals at other dining sites, including Villa Aida and Wilde Park. Some said they plan to move to La Carreta because it is closer to their homes. Others said they prefer the way Little Havana staff interact with seniors.

Obdulia González has received lunches at Villa Aida since 2018. She said she plans to switch to the La Carreta location because it is closer to her home and because she prefers what Little Havana offers to the community.

But the seniors interviewed by the Herald said their decisions about where to eat are not based only on the food.

For former Goodlet Park participants, the new site brings back an organization they relied on for years.

Raul Gonzalez and Lazara Rodriguez are among the former beneficiaries of Goodlet Park’s program who are now switching to the new location at La Carreta. Both canceled their registrations with the city of Hialeah a few weeks ago and applied to participate in Little Havana’s new program.

González had been receiving meals at Goodlet Park for three years. Rodríguez had been going there for more than 18 years.

Both said the way they were treated by Little Havana staff was a major reason they wanted to continue with the organization at its new location.

They said the personal attention and treatment they received at Goodlet Park was unlike what they had experienced elsewhere, making the decision to follow the program to La Carreta an easy one.

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