A Florida waitress has served more than 270,000 meals to the homeless, alongside her husband and two vibrant sons who all exemplify their Christian faith.
An immigrant from Barbados, Gloria Vargas, has run the operation since in 2012 largely from her home in Fort Lauderdale.
“I started with buying a little bit of spaghetti and ground beef, and I started with 40 meals,” said the 62-year-old woman. “The next week it went to 60 meals, 80 meals. Before you know it, I was at 200 meals every weekend.”
On a waitress’s salary, using all her resources, Gloria now purchases “huge amounts” of chicken, fish, fresh produce, rice, bread, and bottled water—enough to nourish 175 to 200 people.
Her sons write “God loves you” or an encouraging scripture on each meal’s Styrofoam lid, and minister to the downtrodden by listening to their stories.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when other organizations were shutting down, Vargas expanded her operation to serve up to 600 meals—feeding communities in both Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
“When it’s cold, when it’s windy, when it’s raining, it doesn’t matter. We have to show up,” Vargas said in an earlier media interview.
Then, thanks to a generous seed grant from the Byers Foundation, she set up a nonprofit, Care in Action USA.
Now a daily operation, Vargas prepares approximately 120 breakfasts and 125 dinners, which are distributed to waiting crowds in under 40 minutes.
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She says the scope of Care in Action USA extends well beyond meal preparation, too.
The family assists people with rent, utility payments, hotel rooms, bus passes, and new clothes.
Her husband, Antonio, is a certified auto mechanic, and has used his skills to repair cars for free, and drive folks to job interviews and appointments.
“My husband can make so much more money doing the job he does, but he takes homeless people to appointments,” said Vargas added.
Thanks to donations and volunteers, the couple says they have even opened a transitional home that has housed eight men who pay between $300 and $400 in rent if they maintain employment requirements.
People are blessed by Gloria’s food to be sure—but they’re drawn like magnets to her story, her family’s kindness, and her example of love.
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“With the help of friends, volunteers, religious leaders, and organizations who partner with us in caring for the needy, we’re making a difference one person at a time.”
Donate to her work at Care in Action USA on their website, here.
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