Local Nonprofits Guide: How to Give Back in Miami

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

Acts 20:35

To understand that there are others in need in our own city, helps us take the focus off of our own lives and problems and think of others’ needs. When we look at the suffering and trials many families have had to endure, the pain and trauma so many children and moms have gone through, we make room in our hearts for compassion and compassion should lead us to action.

This is why it is so important to pause our busy lives and get educated on the issues affecting our families in Miami, because there’s always something we can do for others. While we can’t save the world, we understand that we are in a blessed and unique position to share, give and serve others, in whatever capacity God enables us to do so.

This is why we bring you Miami Mom Collective’s annual Local Nonprofits Guide. We want to make it easier for you to support families, moms, and children in need by highlighting the work that some nonprofit organizations are doing to help, and easy ways to support them. Any little bit of help counts and can turn into a wonderful blessing for both the giver and the receiver. 

Scroll down to learn about the nonprofits that are close to Miami Mom Collective’s heart, and easy ways to serve with time, money and/or prayers.

Last but not least, involve your family. Take a look at these simple and meaningful ways for you to cultivate kindness and generosity in your children’s hearts, as you prepare to participate in Give Miami Day or year round loving on and serving others. 

The South Miami Children’s Clinic is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization that provides high quality pediatric care to children living in a low-income area of South Miami. The Clinic also addresses social determinants of health which can impact overall health and provides appropriate resources.

The organization also provides access to healthcare and health education to help vulnerable children build healthier minds and bodies. Their goal is to create a permanent medical home for all children living in the area and to help them reach their full potential.

“Many low income children have limited options outside of federally qualified health centers. This clinic provides pediatric care to these children and has become not only a medical home, but a safe haven for many of them in the neighborhood we’ve been serving for the last 18 years. Is the one place where they can leave their troubles behind in their home environment, and come to a positive, uplifting place where they are valued.” said Doctor Tina Carroll-Scott, founder of the organization.

The South Miami Children’s Clinic believes in the strength of partnerships. With Caring for Miami they address food insecurity. The last Thursday of every month their mobile van parks in front of the clinic and provides free health groceries to the community. 

They have also partnered with FIU’s Neighborhood HELP program for the last 10 years, having their mobile van park in front of the clinic every Wednesday and see parents and grandparents of the children that receive healthcare in the clinic. The program provides wrap around services with their social work and legal teams. 

Early literacy is also near to the organization’s heart, so there are books in the waiting room of the clinic and in every exam room for patients to take home if they want. Parents are encouraged to read from birth to their children to develop language skills. 

For over 50 years, Branches has been providing life-changing opportunities for hardworking families to break the cycle of poverty. Branches provides two-generational, long-term, holistic services to children and families at three sites across Miami-Dade County – Branches Lakeview (North Miami), Branches South Miami, and Branches Florida City. 

Branches’ signature programs include: 

• The Grow & Climb Program, which helps students K-12 succeed in school and life through after-school academic and enrichment activities. Through Branches, elementary students develop a love for learning, and middle and high school students focus on college readiness and career preparation. Activities include literacy and mathematics tutoring, intensive SAT/ACT test prep, FAFSA guidance, general academic support, character building opportunities and a four-year scholarship for post-secondary education. 
• The Achieve Programs serve children and families on their path to financial wellness and include one on one financial coaching, financial education for children, micro-business development, transportation solutions, VITA free tax preparation, Community IDs, and emergency services.   

Branches serves over 450 students daily through its Grow & Climb student programs, and over 15,000 individuals through its Achieve financial wellness programs.

Can you imagine a family experiencing the suffering of a seriously ill or injured child? Besides the emotional and financial weight of their situation, many families need to also endure long commutes or trips to get their child treated and spend long seasons apart given the distance between the hospital and their home. Sometimes siblings spend months without seeing their sick brother or sister. 

Since 1982, the Ronald McDonald House in South Florida has been providing a “home away from home” to more than 350 families a year with sick children that are receiving treatment at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Located right across from the hospital, this House provides home-cooked meals, private bedrooms, and playrooms for children at no cost, allowing families to stay together through such difficult times. 

There are many ways to support this wonderful cause. Click here to find out the different in-person programs and online initiatives available.

Another way to support is participating in Give Miami Day. Donations will directly contribute to easing the financial and emotional burdens of caregivers, ensuring families have a comfortable space a few steps from pediatric facilities. 

According to the National Diaper Bank Network, 1 in 3 U.S. families in America can’t afford enough diapers to keep their baby or child clean, dry, and healthy.

Since there are no state or federal programs that support the purchase of diapers for low-income families, these parents often find themselves having to decide between purchasing diapers or providing food for their little ones. 

Thankfully, we have Miami Diaper Bank in our city to spearhead the collection and distribution of diapers and other diaper-related products to families in need.

In addition to providing clean diapers to families, the organization’s objective is to generate awareness among our community on the terrible consequences many parents and their babies in need of diapers experience and the importance of diaper donations across Florida.

Ways you can support Miami Diaper Bank:

• Donate your leftover diapers or make a monetary donation.
• Host your own diaper drive to collect donations or playdate to spread awareness. 
• Follow & Share about Miami Diaper Bank on social media.
• Volunteer at a Miami Diaper Bank event. Sign up for the Volunteer Email Newsletter: [email protected]

To bring art classes and resources to vulnerable children and youth in underserved communities by using comics, cartoons, and books is Comic Kids’s mission. Thanks to this non-profit organization, many children in need in Miami are being inspired to develop their art skills. They learn to draw characters they know and love while also learning advanced skills such as perspective, color rendering, scale, and shadowing.

Comic Kids’ art books are valuable art resources for children in vulnerable communities. These books are donated to after-school programs, shelters, foster care, and children’s hospitals. The series of coloring and step-by-step drawing books–created by Comic Kids–simplify concepts and help children discover that they can master art skills by practicing.

Aside from creating and donating these books, Comic Kids teaches underserved children ages 5 -12 drawing skills and art classes, using books to inspire their creativity. Their programs cultivate enthusiasm, confidence, and competence in art through comics, cartoons, books, and illustrations. Comic Kids serves children from low-income homes, single-parent households, foster care, and hospitals.

Safe Families for Children is a volunteer-driven nonprofit that hosts vulnerable children and creates extended family-like supports for families facing a crisis such as homelessness, hospitalization, or domestic violence. Their goal is to keep families together (or reunite them) in order to reduce the number of children entering the child welfare system.

This organization has a global presence and a tangible footprint in our city thanks to the Miami chapter. There are many ways to get involved:

• Be a Host Family to make a lasting impact on a child in need and possibly change the trajectory of a family
• Be a Family Friend to encourage and strengthen families in crisis by performing small tasks. 
• Be a Family Coach to help parents get back on their feet.
• Be a Resource Friend to provide items to families struggling with life challenges. Donating these items can help meet critical needs of families.

This organization provides help to women and couples with an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy through the gospel and the message of hope. They provide services that empower women with education so that they can make an informed decision: pregnancy tests, sonograms, pregnancy consultation and education, ongoing support and referrals, prenatal referrals, adoption referrals, post-abortion counseling, parenting preparation for moms and dads, material goods from their baby boutique, women’s wellness, and opportunities to learn about healthy sexual values and personal growth. All services are free and confidential.

Team Respect has been a significant part of Booker T. Washington High School football since 2005. In a nutshell, Team Respect is committed to doing everything possible to mold high school football players into men who will take a stand for that which is right, while becoming the change we desire in our communities–especially in the City of Miami.

Partnering with Team Respect is about seeing more young men reach their fullest potential. Miami is a city with problems, but Team Respect is an organization with answers.

Parent to Parent of Miami is the only non-for-profit community parent resource center for families of children and adults with disabilities located in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

With the help of Parent to Parent of Miami’s specialized team, parents and professionals can find information, workshops, and other resources to help make decisions about early intervention, early childhood, education, vocational training, employment, college opportunities, as well as the laws that protect the rights of children and young adults with disabilities.

Parent to Parent of Miami, Inc. began in 1986 with one heart-felt wish, may families have an easier time than we did obtaining the services and support needed to raise their children. 

The organization serves over 2,000 families every year through these diverse funding sources and your direct support and generous donations.

The mission of the Marine Toys for Tots Program is to collect new unwrapped toys and distribute those toys to less fortunate children at Christmas. Its goal is, through the gift of a new toy, help bring the joy of Christmas and send a message of hope to America’s less fortunate children.

In Miami alone, the program supported 126,250 children in 2022 by distributing 237,244 toys.

Back in 1991, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation was created at the behest of the Marine Corps to better execute the Toys for Tots Program by assisting the U. S. Marine Corps in providing a tangible sign of hope to economically disadvantaged children at Christmas.

This assistance includes providing day-to-day leadership and oversight of the Program, raising funds to provide toys to supplement the collections of local Toys for Tots Campaigns, to provide promotional and support material and defray the costs of conducting annual Toys for Tots Campaigns.