![\"Miami-Dade](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/rene_fitted.jpeg\" "\\"Miami-Dade")
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Miami-Dade County Commissioner Ren\u00e9 Garcia gathers with Little Havana Activities & Nutrition Centers President, Rafael Iglesias, and Hialeah seniors on Sept. 16 to announce the nonprofit\u2019s return to Hialeah after Mayor Bryan Calvo ended its longtime operation at Goodlet Park.<\/p>\n
Ver\u00f3nica Egui Brito<\/p>\n
vegui@elnuevoherald.com<\/p>\n
Three months after Hialeah seniors lost access to a longtime senior center at Goodlet Park, the Little Havana Activities & Nutrition Centers are returning to the city with a new place to serve them.<\/p>\n
The nonprofit, which had operated the Goodlet Park center for years, will provide meals, activities and other senior services from the second floor of La Carreta Restaurant on West 16th Avenue through a new public-private partnership arranged by Miami-Dade County Commissioner Ren\u00e9 Garcia, whose district includes much of Hialeah.<\/p>\n
The new location comes after Hialeah Mayor Bryan Calvo notified Little Havana in an April 27 letter that it had 30 days to vacate the Goodlet Park facility. The building was constructed in the 1980s with the original intent of providing senior services through the nonprofit.<\/p>\n
Little Havana is now operating at a new site at 5350 W. 16th Ave., on the second floor, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Seniors receive breakfast and lunch, and those who need additional food can receive a weekly box containing seven meals.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Hialeah ends 43-year senior care partnership with Little Havana non-profit, forces it out<\/a><\/p>\n The Goodlet Park center had been part of Hialeah\u2019s senior community for decades. The site was created 43 years ago under former Mayor Ra\u00fal Mart\u00ednez for the Little Havana organization to operate the senior program there.<\/p>\n Calvo cited concerns about the number of residents being served, a lack of \u201cclear, consistent data\u201d on meal recipients and the absence of a formal agreement, which he said created a \u201chuge liability\u201d for the city. He also said the facility costs the city about $700,000 a year to maintain. However, the city\u2019s decision did not eliminate those maintenance costs, and Calvo said a new operator would not be required to pay rent.<\/p>\n Garc\u00eda said the program operated by Little Havana was the first of its kind in Hialeah and credited former Mayor Ra\u00fal Mart\u00ednez with bringing senior services to the city.<\/p>\n \u201cRa\u00fal Mart\u00ednez was a pioneer who always stood by the elderly; he is the one who brought me here, and that is why I have always remained committed to seniors,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cI recognize that we, as elected officials in this community, stand on the shoulders of the people who built this city, and it is our responsibility to ensure that services remain available to them.\u201d<\/p>\n Garcia said the end of Little Havana\u2019s operation at Goodlet Park was particularly difficult because of the center\u2019s history and the role it played in the lives of older residents.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew I couldn\u2019t let things stay that way; we cannot simply erase a community\u2019s history just because a new administration takes office,\u201d he said. \u201cOn the contrary, we must learn from the past to understand where we are headed in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n Garcia said he committed to finding another location where Little Havana could continue providing services.<\/p>\n \u201cToday brings me great happiness, joy, and honor to announce a collaboration between my office and La Carreta,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cI extend my heartfelt thanks to Felipe V\u00e1zquez for understanding the commitment we owe to the seniors of this community.\u201d<\/p>\n About 35 seniors have already registered, the agency said. The program has funding to serve up to 100 people each day, although as many as 150 to 170 seniors could benefit from the site from time to time.<\/p>\n Little Havana provides meals and nutrition services as well as activities and wellness programs. The organization says it has more than 50 years of experience providing services to older adults in Miami-Dade County.<\/p>\n Rafael Iglesias, the president and CEO of Little Havana Activities & Nutrition Centers, said the organization\u2019s services include its \u201cHigh Risk Nutrition\u201d program, through which eligible seniors can receive additional food to take home.<\/p>\n The program also offers exercise sessions and health workshops, including diabetes education and \u201cMatter of Balance,\u201d with classes available in English and Spanish, Iglesias said.<\/p>\n But he said the social aspect is just as important.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople come to the center to have fun and become part of our family,\u201d Iglesias said.<\/p>\n Iglesias said seniors must be at least 60 years old to participate. He also encouraged couples to apply together. Depending on the program, a couple may be able to participate even if only one spouse is over 60.<\/p>\n Seniors from other centers are switching<\/p>\n The new location is not attracting only people who attended Goodlet Park. The city also has senior dining programs operated through the Hialeah Housing Authority. That means seniors have multiple locations where they can seek meals and other services.<\/p>\n The Miami Herald spoke with several Hialeah seniors who had been receiving meals at other dining sites, including Villa Aida and Wilde Park. Some said they plan to move to La Carreta because it is closer to their homes. Others said they prefer the way Little Havana staff interact with seniors.<\/p>\n Obdulia Gonz\u00e1lez has received lunches at Villa Aida since 2018. She said she plans to switch to the La Carreta location because it is closer to her home and because she prefers what Little Havana offers to the community.<\/p>\n But the seniors interviewed by the Herald said their decisions about where to eat are not based only on the food.<\/p>\n For former Goodlet Park participants, the new site brings back an organization they relied on for years.<\/p>\n Raul Gonzalez and Lazara Rodriguez are among the former beneficiaries of Goodlet Park\u2019s program who are now switching to the new location at La Carreta. Both canceled their registrations with the city of Hialeah a few weeks ago and applied to participate in Little Havana\u2019s new program.<\/p>\n Gonz\u00e1lez had been receiving meals at Goodlet Park for three years. Rodr\u00edguez had been going there for more than 18 years.<\/p>\n Both said the way they were treated by Little Havana staff was a major reason they wanted to continue with the organization at its new location.<\/p>\n They said the personal attention and treatment they received at Goodlet Park was unlike what they had experienced elsewhere, making the decision to follow the program to La Carreta an easy one.<\/p>\n Seniors gather at Salon Tropical inside La Carreta, the new location where nonprofit Little Havana Activities & Nutrition Centers will provide meals and activities after the organization was forced to end its operations at Goodlet Park by Hialeah Mayor Bryan Calvo. Ver\u00f3nica Egui Brito vegui@elnuevoherald.com What seniors can get<\/p>\n
![\"Hialeah](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Domino.jpg\" "\\"Domino.jpg\\"")
Hialeah seniors, from front, Eduardo Alfonso and Lazara Rodriguez, and in back, Raul Gonzalez and Edigio Vargas, play dominoes at Salon Tropical inside La Carreta, the new location of Little Havana Activities & Nutrition Centers after the city ended its 43-year operation at Goodlet Park. Ver\u00f3nica Egui Brito vegui@elnuevoherald.com <\/p>\n