By Monica Merel
HUMBLED HOMELESS Photography Humility Now
page 218
I want you to ask yourself a question and I want you to answer honestly.
Miami who would feast on their blessings.
Tell me if you have ever actually stopped to have a conversation
They do more organized activities since the days of scrummag-
with a homeless person. I’m not saying giving them a quarter, or
ing for food. Now they do more charitable events that everyone in
saying ‘sorry I don’t have any change,’ but have you actually ever
the community can get involved in. The very first event was held
asked them about their story. Most of us, we probably answered
last Thanksgiving. It was a traditional Turkey-style clothing drive
‘No.’ But why? Why do the homeless to us seem so unapproach-
and Bar-B-Que. With much loving embrace, the volunteers and the
able? Why can’t most of us just take the time to sit and take to our
attendees got to mingle and get to know one another as more than
neighbor?
just neighbors.They had over 150 volunteers contribute their time
At only nineteen, Julio Anta and a couple of friends decided to
to the event. Since then Humility Now has been lucky enough to
create their own non-profit organization called Humility Now to
host three other events and I’m constantly getting a new event
make it more accessible to give and interact with the homeless.
invitation from them daily. One of the most memorable events was
“The homeless are actual people and we just want to bring a voice
held at Talent Farm, a local venue, with over 300 people come and
to the plate...” says Anta cheerfully over the phone. Right now it
attend the show to come listen to music and fraternize. The other
is a small-scale organization with large potential. It is less than
was a free show collaborated with the non-profit called “Music
a year old, having only started in November it’s grown so rapidly
Saves Lives” at a Starbucks.
within the Miami area. Their merchandise can be scene through
What is so refreshing about Humility Now is that it is fun by a
out college campuses and their flies can be found lurking on the
very humble group of people. Their intentions are pure and just
tables in Art Walks at Wynwood. But how does someone just wake
want to spread this kind of charity at a grander scale. “I hope to
up one morning going.... “Ah, today feels like a good day to create
have different branches of Humility Now not just in Miami” says
my own non-profit.”
Anta. That means even you the reader could start something like
The idea arose for Humility Now with just a couple of friends who believed in conserving food. Anta calls their method of conservation ‘dumpster diving.’ It’s the act of going to the dumpster
this with a group of friends in your community. I can only hope for great things to come for Humility Now. If you want to know how you could get something like this in
behind the super market and salvaging the expired food. Sounds
your community visit humilitynow.com or email them at info@
fun right? It’s actually quite sanitary. It’s regulation for super mar-
humilitynow.com.
kets to get rid of their expired food. What more people don’t know is that it just actually means that the food can’t be sold there any longer but is still edible. With this in mind, they would take these packages of goods to the local homeless people in Downtown
Monica Merel is a writer based in Miami.