Hundreds waited around the block to cart away free groceries for a Christmas dinner Wednesday morning in Little Havana. Thanks to CAMACOL, people who picked up a food voucher last week will take home enough ingredients for one of 3,000 holiday food baskets.
"It's good, very good," said one woman hauling away bread, rice, beans, and pork.
Volunteers from Publix, Sedano's, Iberia Foods, and more loaded up bags so high they're almost too heavy to carry.
"My son-in-law cooks," said a woman named Teresa. She does the waiting for the free food.
It's a tradition going back nearly three decades for CAMACOL, the Latin Chamber of Commerce. Juanita Alvarez has been part of that tradition for nine years. She plans to cook for her 25 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
"We got here Friday morning," she said, taking turns with friends to hold their spot on the sidewalk all day and all night until Wednesday morning.
Everyone with a food voucher is guaranteed a basket, but hundreds still jockey for position while they wait. Grandmothers and grandsons play music, dominoes, and wear parkas. It was cold, but not cold enough to keep people like Alvarez from getting a good spot in line.
