On a typical morning behind New Covenant Presbyterian Church in Liberty City, a line of residents forms early. Some come for a hot breakfast; others seek care for untreated wounds or chronic pain. Many come for both. At this single address, food and healthcare meet — free, walk-in, and side-by-side.
The co-location is the result of a partnership between The Village (FREE)DGE & Pantry and Doctors Within Borders, an urgent-care clinic operated by Dade County Street Response (DCSR). Together, they have created a “one-stop shop” for a community where 42.9% of residents live below the poverty line, more than double the countywide rate.
‘Food is healthcare’
Sherina Jones, CEO and founder of The Village (FREE)DGE & Pantry, launched the initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Children weren’t in school. Jobs were being cut, and people were in short supply for food,” said Jones. “People were wondering how they were going to make ends meet or keep food on the table for their children.”
During lockdown, while scrolling on YouTube, Jones wondered why Miami lacked community refrigerators. She started with a few fridges outside local businesses, quickly exposing a deep need and economic strain in the predominantly Black community.
Food insecurity continues to rise across South Florida. About 15% of Miami-Dade County residents lacked consistent access to food in 2023, according to state data.
As Jones handed out food in the early days, she quickly noticed the physical toll of hunger.
“I would see people fainting. I’ve seen seizures. They come with different medical issues because then you can see their legs are inflamed,” Jones said.
This led her to Dr. Armen Henderson, a University of Miami professor, internal medicine physician, and founder and executive director of DCSR.
“I think it (co-location) works best because food is healthcare,” Henderson said. “Access to food is survival. And you also need access to doctors. It’s a one-two punch.”
Both organizations were serving hundreds of people daily at a site near Northwest Seventh Avenue and 55th Street until the partnership was abruptly disrupted. Henderson stated that the building owner's failure to maintain the property led to the organization’s withholding rent and, subsequently, its eviction. They relocated to their current shared site, where they have been for nearly three years.
Fighting food waste and hunger
Today, The Village (FREE)DGE & Pantry operates six days a week, serving more than 5,000 neighbors monthly. Jones categorizes the need into three tiers: the unhoused, those in rooming or halfway houses, and housed families struggling with rising costs.
“We give a bag for the houseless population. Our second tier is for people in rooming homes. And the third tier is for families that have a home but are experiencing a hard time, so we created a grocery bag so they could go home and cook a meal at home.”
A typical day begins with oatmeal and coffee, followed by volunteers packing peanut butter and jelly, tuna, or turkey and cheese sandwiches. For people without kitchens, the sandwiches are paired with microwave-ready meals. Saturdays feature a farmers-market-style setup where residents choose from fresh produce.
"We try to serve as we want somebody to serve us if we were in need," Jones noted.
The organization also fights food waste, sourcing much of its supply from grocers and organizations like Food Rescue South Florida. The pantry has also been intentionally shifting toward healthier options.
“We're pivoting more to healthier things, introducing them to a more healthy lifestyle, not cookies and snacks and cakes. We give them more bananas, oranges, peaches, and plums,” Jones said.
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Henderson notes that this shift is vital for patient health.
“When people rely on food pantries, their health is tied to whatever food they can get that day,” he said. “If the only thing available is high sugar or high salt, then their diabetes or hypertension is harder to control.”
The pantry became an even more critical lifeline after recent disruptions to SNAP benefits. When shelves emptied, the organization expanded its hours.
“We reassured every person that they would leave with food,” Jones said. “We did that every day until the shelves were empty.”
Medicine without walls
After picking up groceries, residents can walk just a few steps to Doctors Within Borders, a free urgent care clinic built from shipping containers. There are no appointments or insurance requirements, and it is open Thursday through Saturday.
“People walk in for colds, wounds, chronic illness,” Henderson said. “They can see a children’s doctor, an adult doctor, or a psychiatrist, which is rare in a free clinic.”
According to DCSR’s 2024 annual report, 97% of patients live below 200% of the federal poverty line, and 82% rate their health as fair or poor. For many undocumented residents, it is their primary healthcare access point.
Supported by the Health Foundation of South Florida, the clinic provides advanced services rarely found free of cost, including lab work, EKGs, ultrasounds, MRIs, and CT scans. The team also offers case management, helping patients navigate disability benefits and Social Security.
“We’ve written letters for people in jail, helped them qualify for services they didn’t think they could get, and even done home visits for mold inspections,” Henderson said. “We've just been a resource for whatever people need, in addition to being an urgent care.”
According to the report, the organization has saved the local healthcare system more than $2 million by preventing avoidable emergency room visits. Additionally, 82% of regular patients are now up to date on childhood vaccinations.
The site also doubles as a classroom for medical students to gain firsthand exposure to community-based care.
“They learn how to practice without relying on the system,” Henderson said. "It gives you a new understanding of people's struggles. You also think that people really get a chance to learn about the political determinants of medicine. Why is the life expectancy so much shorter in Liberty City as compared to Coral Gables?"
The road ahead
Both leaders stress that the site is more than a clinic or pantry; it is a community hub and disaster relief site shaped by those it serves.
“If you are responding to the needs of the most vulnerable,” Henderson said, “then you’re not leaving anybody out. It lifts up the entire community.”
Looking forward, Jones hopes to secure a larger space to expand hours for working families who cannot visit during the day. Henderson’s long-term vision includes an operational mobile crisis team and a free hospital in Opa-locka, but his immediate priority is sustaining the current partnership.
“Our focus is really on helping to support the food pantry,” he said. “We need to help The Village Freedge get more funding so we can continue serving the community.”
Jones encourages residents to visit, volunteer, or donate food or funds.
“Just showing up — that’s what fills my heart,” she said. “Loving this community and giving people what they need in their time of need.”
This story was produced by The Miami Times, one of the oldest Black-owned newspapers in the country, as part of a content sharing partnership with the WLRN newsroom. Read more at miamitimesonline.com.
