Communities First

A rose is sometimes not just a rose, especially when it’s Miss Rose McFarlane of the Overtown Community in Miami, Florida.  Miss Rose’s children and grandchildren have been involved in the Touching Miami with Love Ministry in Overtown for many years.

“TML has been a blessing to me and my kids” she said as she explained why she created a garden for the outside of the building where TML is housed.  The thought; however, formed in her mind the week before, after she attended one of the “Community Listening Sessions” that have been taking place this summer, at TML.

During that session people where instructed on how to do one on one interviews to get to know their neighbors better.  Miss Themis, the person who interviewed Miss Rose, talked about how passionate Miss Rose was about gardening, and how the community knew about the beautiful garden in her home.  Miss Rose spoke about how she would see Miss Themis walk with her children everyday, “she’s a good mama” said Miss Rose.

As I arrived for our next “Community Listening Session” I saw Miss Rose and the first words out of her mouth were “Did you see the garden?”  I had seen the garden, but I just assumed that it was one of the summer projects that TML was doing with the kids and really didn’t pay too much attention.  I said yes, who did it?  She smiled and said “I did”.  Now I had to go and take a second look.  She did the entire garden by herself in the hot Miami sun with plants that she transplanted from her own garden. I suddenly realized that this was Miss Rose’s gift of the “Hands” and “Heart” to the community, and she wanted me to know that she’d been paying attention.  During that evening’s session we talked about how one person can make a difference and how a community can be transformed when many people feel they too can make a difference through the giving and receiving of their gifts and talents. 

They decided that night that they wanted the “Community Listening” sessions to continue beyond their original intention; which was to engage the parents of the children in the TML Summer Camp. I can only imagine how many more talents people will discover they have and how God will move their heart into freely and lovingly give them as “gifts” to each other and their community.

For more information on Touching Miami with Love Ministries visit their website here: