Lotus House, the nation\u2019s largest women\u2019s homeless shelter and a leading model for holistic shelter services, has announced the opening of The Children\u2019s Village at Lotus Village, an innovative education and resource center designed to serve the shelter\u2019s children as well as families in the surrounding community. The 71,000-square-foot facility aims to advance the safety, education, health, and wellbeing of children, youth, and families, transforming a once-neglected corner of Miami\u2019s Overtown neighborhood into a hub for learning, creativity, and hope.<\/p>\n
Joining the team of philanthropists and corporations supporting The Children\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cLotus 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,\u201d said Constance Collins, founder of Lotus House. \u201cNearly 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 \u2013 all under one roof at the Children\u2019s Village. We are deeply grateful to Ken Griffin for his generous support and shared belief in the power of community to change lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Children\u2019s Village is a powerful example of how communities can come together to create lasting change,\u201d said Griffin. \u201cWhen we invest in children, we invest in the future of our city \u2014 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\u2019m committed to supporting this mission.\u201d<\/p>\n
The launch of The Children\u2019s Village will be commemorated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, November 6. Lotus House leadership, community partners, and board members will be joined by special guests including Gloria Estefan, a singer, songwriter, actress, and longtime advocate for women\u2019s causes, and Gisele B\u00fcndchen, a supermodel, bestselling author, philanthropist, and dedicated advocate for women and children in need who also serves on the Lotus House board of directors.<\/p>\n
The Children\u2019s Village is the first facility of its kind in Miami-Dade County and represents a new national model based on a collective-impact strategy that brings nonprofit community providers together to deliver educational programming and holistic therapeutic services for children and families. Located across the street from Lotus House\u2019s 500-bed shelter, the new facility expands the organization\u2019s mission to end and prevent homelessness by investing in children and strengthening families.<\/p>\n
Anchored by the Lotus House Center for the Advancement of Children and Families, The Children\u2019s Village will house 14 nonprofit organizations offering educational, therapeutic, and social services to both Lotus House guests and members of the surrounding community. Participating organizations include Arts4Learning, Care4U, Children\u2019s Bereavement Center, Easter Seals South Florida, Girl Power Rocks, Legal Services of Greater Miami, Mindful Kids Miami, Nana\u2019s Restart, Overtown Optimist Club, Overtown Children & Youth Coalition, The Alliance for LGBTQ Youth, United Way, Urgent Inc and Urgent Academy, and the Lotus House Center for the Advancement of Children and Families.<\/p>\n
Since its founding in 2006, Lotus House has served more than 13,500 women, children, and youth. In 2018, the organization opened the 500-bed Lotus Village campus, setting a new national standard for shelter design, operations, and programming.<\/p>\n
The opening of The Children\u2019s Village comes at a time of growing housing insecurity across Florida. A recent survey by the University of Florida Shimberg Center for Housing Studies found that average apartment rents in the state rose by 39 percent between 2019 and 2024, driving a 28 percent increase in homelessness among families.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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,\u201d said Isabella Dell Oca, executive director of Lotus House. \u201cAbove all, we are committed to putting children first \u2013 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Children\u2019s Village was made possible through the support of the Lotus Endowment Fund, Inc., a nonprofit foundation that supports Lotus House and its initiatives. In 2023, the Endowment helped secure $32 million in New Markets Tax Credit Financing for the development of The Children\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
The development also received contributions from a team of Miami-based contractors, professionals, and consultants who volunteered their expertise and services, known collectively as the \u201cDream Team.\u201d The team includes Civic Construction as general contractor, Behar Font & Partners as architects, M2E Consulting Engineers for structural and MEP engineering, Avino & Associates as civil engineers, Savino & Miller Design Studio as landscape architects, Permit Me for permitting, Bilzin Sumberg as legal counsel, ADS Technology for access and tech, Hotwire Communications for internet and communications, Socotec Consulting, Inc. for environmental services, Illuminosity Lighting for lighting, Pacifica Engineering Services for inspections, Evelyn Langlieb Greer, P.A. for acquisitions, and Lotspeich Company as suppliers.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiami is once again coming together to end cycles of poverty and homelessness,\u201d said Collins. \u201cLotus House is deeply grateful to the entire Dream Team, the generous Founders of the Children\u2019s 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\u2019s Village is proof that it takes a village.\u201d<\/p>\n
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