In Key Biscayne, the want to give back often begins at home.<\/p>\n
For Malena Legarre, the co-founder of Hermanos de la Calle<\/a>, public service was always a family affair. As a mother of eight, Legarre and her husband, Narciso Mu\u00f1oz, started the organization to show their children how they could find opportunities to initiate real change without going too far.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to show them that, although there\u2019s real need overseas, it\u2019s possible and important to service your own community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The project began with a few local families volunteering together for the sake of helping and eventually grew into a larger network to support unhoused members of the Miami community.<\/p>\n Even as the initiative expanded, however, the couple\u2019s modus operandi has stayed the same.<\/p>\n It was always a family project,\u201d Legarre explains. \u201cThe idea was that maybe they were \u2018losing\u2019 time with their mom, but for something that was worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n As one can imagine, balancing eight children with a growing nonprofit was not easy.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was hard at times,\u201d she said. \u201cThe way to not feel guilty is understanding that it\u2019s a project with purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n Having been built for them and by them, the project cannot get more personal for the Mu\u00f1oz-Legarre family.<\/p>\n When asked how her as a mother extended into her philanthropy, she answered \u201cI ended up with many more children.\u201d And considering the passion and love that Hermanos de la Calle puts into their efforts, this close connection is no surprise.<\/p>\n For Legarre, caring for others, whether that\u2019s at home or in her community, all comes from the same place.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you have a big family, your life is for others,\u201d Legarre said.<\/p>\n For Amarylli Fridegotto, founder of the Key Biscayne Piano Festival<\/a> and Key Biscayne Piano Academy<\/a>, philanthropy starts with the same instincts as motherhood: to nurture, guide and intentionally shape people.<\/p>\n As a mother of two, Fridegotto has spent decades mentoring not only her own children, but also generations of students who have grown up under her guidance. Many begin at a young age and stay with her through their formative years, developing not only as musicians, but as individuals as well.<\/p>\n This same vision extends beyond the doors of her studio into the broader community. After moving to Key Biscayne, she felt the absence of consistent and widespread access to high-level classical music on the island. This pushed her to create the Key Biscayne Piano Festival in 2016, an initiative built to bring world-class artistry to a local, accessible setting.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to contribute something of lasting value,\u201d she said. \u201cNot just a concert, but a cultural presence.\u201d<\/p>\n To balance her academy, the festival, and family life, Fridegotto feels she has needed both discipline and a strong clarity of purpose.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve found that making art available to people, and building community around it, is one of the most special ways to give back,\u201d Fridegotto said.<\/p>\n Together, both Legarre and Fridegotto balance a great deal at all times, showing the core building blocks of philanthropy: showing up constantly, consistently, and intentionally for a community.<\/p>\n Legarre and Fridegotto are just two of the dozens, maybe even hundreds, of women, and many are moms, involved in the art of giving back, making the Island better.<\/p>\n