The City of Miami has approved a $2 million dollar budget to extend its gift card program aimed to help residents who have experienced financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Mayor Francis Suarez said in a news briefing Friday that the city will be able to provide $334,000 worth of gift cards from various companies, including Winn-Dixie, Sedanos, Presidente Supermarkets and more, in addition to the Publix gift cards that are already being distributed. Gift cards range from $100 to $350.
The mayor’s office will be giving out the gift cards over the next three distribution events from 8 a.m. to noon on:
- Dec. 15 - Juan Pablo Duarte Park at 1776 NW 28th St, Miami, FL 33142
- Dec. 22 - Jose Marti Park at 351 SW 4th Ave, Miami, FL 33130
- Dec. 29 - West End Park at 6030 SW 2nd St, Miami, FL 33144
Cards are limited to one per household and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Residents must register for a card by clicking on this link.
Earlier this month, thousands of Publix gift cards were given away to families struggling to put food on the table.
Commissioner Alex Diaz De La Portilla said the program didn’t do much for the people in his district, which includes people in Allapattah and parts of Little Havana.
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“People in my district, for example, don’t use Publix,” Diaz De La Portilla said. “It’s sometimes higher priced than other supermarkets. They use Sedano’s, Presidente, Aldi sometimes.”
Diaz De La Portilla says the expansion also allows people to use their cards on more than just groceries, now including medicine and utilities.
“If people want to buy medicine, they can now do that with the gift card and they can also pay for their utilities, electrical, telephone, water,” he said. “In essence, we want people to get the most bang for their buck."
