Locals line up for holiday meal ticket

MIAMI (WSVN) -- After waiting in line for days, hundreds of South Florida residents have a received a holiday meal ticket  from a local organization.

At 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, the first 3,000 people received tickets for the Dec. 19 food baskets distribution.

Juanita Alvarez was one of the first to receive the meal ticket. "After being here eight days, now I'm going to get prepared mentally for the 19th, so we can be here to get the real stuff, the food," she said.

Tuesday evening dozens of residents lined up for The Latin American Chamber of Commerce (Camacol) Food Giveaway in Little Havana.

For some, like Alvarez, at the front of the line, it's not just a one night endeavor. "Tomorrow it's going to be eight days being here in the line. We sleep overnight, we have fun, everybody shares coffee and we enjoy ourselves," she said.

Alvarez has been coming to this holiday tradition at 14th Avenue and West Flagler Street for seven years.

This is Mercedes Gilarte's 10th year. "I take it back home," she said. "It's free."

This year is Regla Grinan's first time at the food giveaway. She is happy that she is receiving help to feed her multi-generational family of 12. "This is my first time in this line," she said. "I'm very excited, because I never had the opportunity to wait in the line since I'm always working."

On Dec. 19, the baskets will be distributed and each basket feeds a family of 10. The organization started this annual giveaway 25 years ago for 10 families, which has now grown into the thousands.

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