Moms received heartfelt gift baskets with baby goodies for their soon-to-arrive bundles of joy

United Way Mission United, in partnership with The Miami Dolphins as part of its Foundation Food Relief Program and Football UNITES™ program, hosted a commemorative drive-thru baby shower for 65 veteran moms from the Miami VA Healthcare System at Hard Rock Stadium. With support from Just Bare Chicken and NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, the moms received gift baskets filled with baby essentials such as onesies, baby bathing kits, rash creams and more. The festivities also included a raffle for a car seat, pack ‘n play, stroller and other important items for their newborn.

Photo Credit: Miami Dolphins 

“We are so fortunate to once again be able to show our appreciation for the women who have served our country during this special milestone in their lives,” Laura Whitfield, director, United Way of Miami-Dade Mission United, said. “The community’s support of our Warrior Moms truly warms my heart.”

Mission United serves as a single point of entry for veterans to access the help they need while easing the transition to civilian life. By connecting veterans to a coordinated network of community partners, Mission United empowers veterans and their families to lead productive lives in our community.

“Led by our Vice Chairman and CEO Tom Garfinkel, our mission at the Miami Dolphins is to salute our service members all year long. We are honored to have year-round programming through our Football UNITES™ program to actively seek ways to show support, appreciation and impact our veterans. We hope these contributions to these military mothers and their growing families will be of assistance as we navigate through a global pandemic.” Miami Dolphins Senior Vice President of Communications and Community Affairs, Jason Jenkins, said.

Quick Facts:

• At an estimated 159,000 female veterans, Florida is home to the second largest population of female veterans in the nation.*
  • Female veterans are the fastest growing in the veteran population.*

• An estimated 50,000 veterans call Miami-Dade County home.**

Mission United services include job training and opportunities, affordable housing, legal resources and more. Please visit www.missionunitedmiami.org or call (305) 646-7037 for more information.

Photo Credit: Miami Dolphins 

With meals catered and provided by Reggae Beets, this distribution through the Miami Dolphins Foundation Food Relief Program is assisting to feed those dealing with food insecurity while generating jobs and revenue for local minority owned restaurants. Launched on June 1 by a multi-million-dollar commitment from Stephen Ross, the program was created in response to record unemployment and food insecurity brought on by COVID-19. The program provides up to 1,000 meals each day from Centerplate, the team’s food, beverage and retail partner and local minority owned restaurants. These meals will be distributed to families in need in Miami Gardens and surrounding communities for up to a year. Individuals and businesses that wish to participate in the match program can donate online at dolphins.com/meals.

The Miami Dolphins are committed to better serving our nation’s veterans, active duty service members and their families, in year-round programming built around helping them transition to civilian life through events centered on uniting and appreciating. This programming aligns with the NFL’s Salute to Service platform and its partners. By working with Veteran Services Organizations such as United Way Mission United, the Miami Dolphins are capable of reaching a broader range of veterans.

*https://floridavets.org/our-veterans/women-veterans/

**https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/miamidadecountyflorida#