Exterior photo of the newly-built Children’s Village at Lotus Village in Miami’s Overtown Neighborhood
Innovative education and resource center brings together more than a dozen local nonprofits to focus on the holistic needs of children and families in the local community.
Lotus House, the nation’s largest women’s homeless shelter and a model for holistic shelter services, today announced the opening of the Children’s Village at Lotus Village, an innovative education and resource center serving Lotus House’s sheltered children and the children and families of the surrounding community. Designed to advance the safety, education, health, and wellbeing of children, youth, and families, the 71,000-square-foot facility transforms a once-neglected corner of Miami’s Overtown neighborhood into a beacon of learning, creativity, and hope.
Joining the team of philanthropists and corporations supporting the Children’s Village is Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel and founder of Griffin Catalyst. Through a $5 million gift to the capital campaign, Griffin is helping to ensure that every child in Miami has access to the resources and opportunities needed to thrive.
“Lotus Village was developed on the premise that a shelter built on a foundation of evidence-based therapies and holistic programming could end the cycle of homelessness,” said Constance Collins, founder of Lotus House. “Nearly two decades later, more than 86 percent of our guests are exiting the shelter system following their stay at Lotus Village. The next step is preventing homelessness by empowering children and families through educational and therapeutic supports, year-round programming, and greater access to healthcare and social services – all under one roof at the Children’s Village. We are deeply grateful to Ken Griffin for his generous support and shared belief in the power of community to change lives.”
“The Children’s Village is a powerful example of how communities can come together to create lasting change,” said Griffin. “When we invest in children, we invest in the future of our city — in the ideas, talent, and potential that will define Miami for generations to come. Lotus House is helping to ensure that every child has the foundation to dream boldly and achieve their full promise, and I’m committed to supporting this mission.”
The launch of the Children’s Village will be marked with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, November 6. Lotus House’s leadership, community partners, and board of directors will be joined by an array of special guests including Gloria Estefan, a singer, songwriter, actress, and longtime advocate for women’s causes, as well as Gisele Bündchen, a renowned supermodel, bestselling author, philanthropist and a longtime Lotus House supporter, board member, and dedicated advocate for women and children in need.
Gloria Estefan & Gisele Bündchen celebrate the ribbon cutting ceremony at The Children’s Village at Lotus Village
The Children’s Village is the first facility of its kind in Miami-Dade County and a newly conceived national model premised on a collective-impact strategy in which nonprofit community providers work side by side to deliver enriched educational programming and holistic therapeutic services and supports for children and families. Located across the street from Lotus House’s 500-bed shelter, the Children’s Village expands the nonprofit’s mission to end – and prevent – homelessness by investing in children and strengthening families for safer, brighter futures.
Anchored by Lotus House’s Center for the Advancement of Children and Families, the Children’s Village will serve as the new home for 14 nonprofit organizations providing an array of educational programming, therapeutic supports, social services, and resources for both Lotus House shelter guests and children and families from the surrounding community:
Arts4Learning for creative arts programming
Care4U for health care services and a school nurse
Children’s Bereavement Center for children struggling with loss
Easter Seals South Florida for a preschool serving up to 80 children ages 3-5
Girl Power Rocks for teens after school and summer programs
Legal Services of Greater Miami for legal services
Lotus House Center for the Advancement of Children and Families for evidence-based assessments and therapeutic supports
Mindful Kids Miami for yoga and mindfulness practices
Nana’s Restart for community outreach and events
Overtown Optimist Club for after school and summer programs
Overtown Children & Youth Coalition, a partnership of youth serving organizations
The Alliance for LGBTQ Youth for counseling and supportive services
United Way for financial literacy, budgeting, and family financial strengthening
Urgent Inc and Urgent Academy for middle-school, after-school, and summer programs
From the humblest of beginnings in 2006, Lotus House has continued to blossom, serving more than 13,500 women, children, and youth to date. In 2018, the organization debuted the state-of-the-art Lotus Village, which set a new national standard for shelter design, operations, and programming.
The Children’s Village comes at a critical time: a new survey by the University of Florida Shimberg Center for Housing Studies found that average apartment rents in Florida rose by 39 percent from 2019 to 2024, fueling a 28 percent spike in homelessness among families.
“The key to success of the Lotus House program has been a holistic approach with wrap-around supportive services addressing safety, health, and wellbeing, as well as educational, employment, and housing needs,” said Isabella Dell Oca, executive director of Lotus House. “Above all, we are committed to putting children first – understanding they need a wide range of educational programming, health and therapeutic services, a sense of safety and belonging even and especially in times of transition, and playful, creative environments that allow them to just be kids.”
The Children’s Village is made possible with the support of the Lotus Endowment Fund, Inc., a nonprofit foundation that supports Lotus House and its initiatives. In 2023, Lotus Endowment helped secure $32 million in New Markets Tax Credit Financing that powered the ground-up development of The Children’s Village. Financing was arranged by The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation, U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation, Florida Community Loan Fund, and Enterprise Community Investment, Inc.
Constance Collins celebrates at the Lotus House Annual Gala at The Margulies Collection at the WAREhOUSE with Gloria Estefan & Gisele Bundchen. Pictured left to right: Kimberly Kloss, Karlie Kloss, Gisele Bundchen, Gloria Estefan, & Laura Valente
The development has also benefited from the support of the Dream Team, a slate of Miami’s best-in-class contractors, professionals, and consultants that have volunteered their expertise, time, and treasure to this project, including:
General Contractor:Civic Construction, also the pro bono contractor for Lotus Village
Architects:Behar Font & Partners, P.A.
Structural and MEP Engineers:M2E Consulting Engineers
Civil Engineers: Avino & Associates
Landscape Architects:Savino & Miller Design Studio
Permitting:Permit Me
Law Firm:Bilzin Sumberg
Access and Tech:ADS Technology
Internet and Communications:Hotwire Communications
Environmental:Socotec Consulting, Inc.
Lighting:Illuminosity Lighting
Inspections:Pacifica Engineering Services
Acquisitions: Evelyn Langlieb Greer, P.A.
Suppliers:Lotspeich Company
“Miami is once again coming together to end cycles of poverty and homelessness,” said Collins. “Lotus House is deeply grateful to the entire Dream Team, the generous Founders of the Children’s Village who are contributing to our capital campaign, and our beloved community for making this dream come true for our Lotus House children and the children and families of Overtown and the surrounding community. The Children’s Village is proof that it takes a village!”
About Lotus House:
Since launching in 2006, Lotus House has sheltered more than 13,500 women, youth, and children experiencing homelessness, with over 86 percent of the shelter’s guests successfully exiting the shelter system last year. More than a shelter, Lotus House offers holistic support services including restorative therapies for children and adults, employment assistance, life skills training, early childhood education, medical and mental health services, and more. Together, these tools empower women, youth, and children to heal, transform their lives, achieve greater self-sufficiency, and build the foundation for safer, brighter futures.
About Lotus Endowment Fund, Inc., the sponsor of the Lotus Village Project:
The Children’s Village is a development of Lotus Village, II, LLC, a subsidiary of Lotus Endowment Fund, Inc., a 501c3, non-profit charitable foundation formed and operated exclusively to support the Sundari Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus House, itself a 501c3, nonprofit public charity dedicated to providing support, education, tools, and resources to poor, disadvantaged, and homeless women, youth, and children in our community. A $25 million capital campaign has been launched by Lotus Endowment Fund to power the Children’s Village. Contact Lotus Endowment at constance@lotusendowment.org.
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