Over 300 volunteers teamed up with Choice Hotels during Super Bowl weekend to revitalize the historic Coconut Grove community in Miami. Joined by “The Steve Harvey Morning Show,” the volunteers and Choice Hotels hosted a pep rally and block party that coincided with the refurbishment of seven homes.
One of the residents in the community who received a home makeover was Mr. Wesley Truesdell. A 92-year-old veteran of World War II, Truesdell lived in his two-bedroom home for 47 years. However, six family members also shared his home. The Truesdells now have a five-bedroom home with two bathrooms.
Coconut Grove was Miami’s first black settlement and was known for its variety of foods until the drug epidemic that flourished during the `80s put a chokehold on the community. Many of the neighborhood’s working-class members moved out of Coconut Grove and left dozens of homes empty, but the community is hoping that the Kickoff to Rebuild program will help to re-establish it as a premier area to live in once again. –amir shaw
