Healthcare remains underprovided for Gainesville homeless community
BASIC HEALTH EXAMINATIONS, PRESCRIPTIONS AND NUTRITION ASSISTANCE REMAIN IN HIGH DEMAND
By Avery Parker Alligator Staff Writer
A year ago, Gainesville’s homeless community living in “tent city” awoke to find five-hour eviction notices pinned to their tents, shopping carts and backpacks.
The notices came as part of the city’s efforts to clear out the southeastern homeless community. A 2024 Florida law simultaneously prohibited counties and municipalities from allowing camping on public property, with the exception of property established for that purpose under state approval.
While access to shelter is a lead-
ing issue for homeless individuals, access to healthcare remains a lesser understood yet progressively persistent issue.
Among Alachua County’s estimated 639 homeless persons, 95% of those surveyed by the Alachua County Department of Health reported difficulty in accessing healthcare services in 2024. These services can range from simple physical exams to cardiology procedures.
Despite the lack of medical resources for the homeless community, Alachua County-based organizations are stepping in to make a difference.
Access in reach
UF HealthStreet strives to reduce disparities in healthcare access through research. The program pro-
SEE HEALTHCARE, PAGE 2
Student Government election platforms hone in on mental health, DEI and fair elections
Vision, Change and Watch Party show their drive to lead the student body through varied initiatives
By Michael Angee Alligator Staff Writer
With student government elections approaching on Feb. 25 and 26, Change, Vision and Watch Party officials have spent the month of February rolling out their platforms on social media and spreading the word across campus.
Vision Party, which holds the Student Senate majority, is aiming to improve student mental health and tackle food insecurity on campus. Change Party candidates, meanwhile, highlighted issues such as graduate student housing shortages
SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT
Black History Month
Story description finish with comma, pg#
Celebrating Black love, poetr y and art Read more on pg. 5.
and restoring Marston Science Library’s 24/7 model. The Watch Party, an emerging third party option, is pushing for fairer elections.
The election will determine UF’s new student body president, vice president and treasurer, in addition to 50 of the 100 seats representing the university’s 16 colleges in the Student Senate. Each senator serves a one-year term, shaping policies impacting campus life, student resources and funding allocation.
Vision Party
Major points within the Vision platform
include integrating more mental health resources for students and tackling food insecurity.
The Vision executive ticket is composed of Senate President Blake Cox, who is running for student body president; Jade Gonzalez, the vice presidential candidate and current junior class vice president; and Johanna Moncy, the party’s treasurer candidate and current deputy chief of staff for the student body vice president.
During the Spring 2025 Debate Feb. 10, Cox said he and the other members of the Vision ticket would work to expand mental health resources. According to the CWC’s
The Avenue: Love
The correlation between music and feelings, pg. 6 Money problems
UF at risk of losing millions in federal funding, pg. 8
Annual Wellness Report, more student patients at intake reported levels of sadness and depression, difficulty concentrating and social anxiety in 2024 compared to the previous year.
Vision also plans to develop events addressing loneliness and mental health and work alongside the UF Quest Department to implement a mental health day. To address food insecurity on campus, the party is also developing an initiative called Food for Fitness, which would allow students to exchange food donations for a guest Rec -
SEE PLATFORM, PAGE 4
Noah Lantor // Alligator Staff
Damien Filmore of Terrell's Bar-B-Que cooks ribs on the grill in Gainesville, Fla., on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. Read more on pg. 3.
The healthcare accessibility problem
HEALTHCARE, from pg. 1
vides health assessments, which often uncover underlying health issues that may otherwise go unnoticed; semi-monthly ophthalmology services, which can help provide vision care; and Narcan distribution and training, which aims to prevent fatal overdoses among the homeless — a community exceptionally vulnerable to drug addiction. All of these services are available on-site at the 2401 SW Archer Road clinic.
Other on-site services include a food pantry, a clothing closet and the provision of medical referrals and 24-hour bus passes.
Vernita Canteen, a Gainesville resident of 33 years, said she relies on UF HealthStreet for a variety of her needs. Canteen has experienced homelessness off and on, and said she struggles to travel to essential places like grocery or clothing stores.
“I need to find a dentist, they help me find a dentist. And a lot of other things — glasses, everything,” she said. “Groceries, clothes if you need clothes, toiletry stuff if you need it.”
According to HealthStreet operations director Robert Baez, the organization's mission lies in “addressing those social determinants of health and making it easier to access [healthcare].”
One of the largest health concerns facing Gainesville’s homeless population, Baez said, is a basic one: access to simple necessities like food.
“Being able to provide [food] to people has been very energizing,” Baez said. “A lot of people are coming to HealthStreet for the resources that we offer, and then at the same time [we] are able to link them with research with the referrals they may be looking for.”
Despite the efforts HealthStreet has made to support the homeless population and other Alachua County groups, limitations still prevent a full range of medical services to the community.
For one, Baez said receiving adequate funding and resources is always a struggle, with toiletries, clothing and other necessities often going quickly out of stock. And, while the clinic does provide some direct medical support and examinations, follow-up treatments often require referrals and self-motivation on the client’s part.
“It’s up to the person to actually follow through with the referral, schedule appointments and so forth,” Baez said.
Additionally, more complex health needs, like cancer treatment, may be beyond the organization’s scope, leaving homeless individuals to their own devices without monetary support or insurance providers’ backing.
Established support
Grace Healthcare Service Corp., established in 2016 on the GRACE Marketplace campus, provides Alachua County residents with healthcare access through its facilities’
clinics and free pharmacy.
Grace Healthcare executive director, Lorry Davis, said Grace Pharmacy has a unique position as the only free pharmacy in Alachua County.
”It’s why Grace Healthcare Services was formed,” Davis said, “because there are a number of free clinics around town that folks would get their prescriptions and have no way to pay for them.”
Grace Pharmacy purchases some of its medications and also relies on donations to provide free prescriptions. However, medication donations usually come in the form of excess supply from other pharmacies and, consequently, can be inconsistent.
As of August, Grace Pharmacy’s formulary list included many important yet supply limited medications. Medicines like the blood pressure medication amlodipine and the antidepressant escitalopram are available, however, supplies are often only enough to last an individual a month. Though the pharmacy can acquire additional supply, the August list indicates the scarcity of resources with which the pharmacy has to cope.
In addition to prescription medications, the pharmacy also accepts donations for free over-the-counter health supplies like sunscreen, shampoo and toothpaste.
Meanwhile, the clinics Grace Healthcare hosts in its facilities cover an array of medical services. Davis described the Grace Clinic as a “guerilla clinic,” due to the shifting nature of services provided on different days and the variability of services offered depending on resource availability.
The clinic’s weekly schedule includes services like vaccination, wound treatment and psychiatric counseling.
Common issues homeless and impoverished individuals face includes high blood pressure, hypertension, respiratory issues and diabetes, which Davis said Grace Healthcare assists with. For the female patients visiting Grace Healthcare, sexual assault is another ongoing and virulent issue with over 90% of female clientele – a majority of whom are homeless – reporting some form of sexual harrassment or assault.
“The statistics, when you get down to them, are pretty staggering about the situation for homeless women,” Davis said.
Barriers and obstacles Navigating the complex medical system can pose serious challenges to individuals who may lack resources such as phones, according to Baez. Given those barriers, other organizations strive to provide individuals with guidance through the often maze-like social services system.
The city-funded Gainesville Fire Rescue’s Community Resource Paramedicine Program combines guidance with basic medical services.
Maddi Weech, the EMT oversee-
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ing the homelessness outreach and prevention section of the CRP program, said the program seeks out those who are medically vulnerable or have complex medical situations and tries to connect them with resources, often visiting places like tented homeless communities.
Once connecting with an individual, Weech said, the CRP team may offer on-site first aid, perform an examination and provide a medical referral or create a plan for obtaining further medical care. Responders like Weech will often visit homeless individuals once they’ve been hospitalized in order to advocate for them.
Krista Ott, the CRP program coordinator, said the program aims to connect with frequent 911 callers and high need individuals on-site.
“Our program often tries to be able to be involved with the individual before they get discharged,” Ott said, “so that we can make sure they have wraparound services and support once they get discharged.”
That support includes ensuring individuals know when their follow-up appointments are, teaching them to advocate for themselves and helping educate them about available resources, Ott added. Other services include connecting individuals with medical goods like wheelchairs and walkers, explaining the purpose and methods of taking certain medications and establishing relationships with individuals so they feel comfortable calling on the fire rescue for support.
Weech emphasized the need for greater empathy towards homeless individuals.
“None of us are that far off from being unhoused,” she said. “We’re all just like one missed paycheck, one bad thing away from facing a similar situation.”
Though limitations exist as to the extent organizations can provide healthcare access, homeless and impoverished Gainesville residents still expressed deep appreciation for the services they can receive.
Jerry Baker, who is homeless, said HealthStreet was the best clinic in Gainesville and helped connect him with other services such as the Acorn Clinic for free dental services.
Overall, Baker said clinics and pantries have been essential to his survival.
“I’m glad they got places like this,” he said. “Because if there wasn’t, I wouldn’t eat or have clothes.”
@AveryParke9839 aparker@alligator.org
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Black restaurant owners dish out their stories
COMMUNITY SUPPORT, SOUTHERN FLAVORS AND A LOVE OF COOKING DRIVE ALACHUA COUNTY BUSINESSES
By Annie Wang Alligator Staff Writer
Black restaurant owners in Alachua County are serving up more than just delicious meals — they’re sharing stories of resilience, passion and drive.
Antonio Jefferson, the 36-yearold owner of Swamp Religion, got his start at The Swamp Restaurant in Gainesville under Ron DeFilippo, the restaurant’s founder.
Jefferson worked his way up, moving from washing dishes to preparing salads to working as a line cook to eventually becoming the kitchen manager. He ran the kitchen for several years and learned a lot about business management and the food industry from DeFilippo, Jefferson said.
A few years later, Jefferson showed up for work only to be told he was fired. When he asked DeFilippo the reason why, DeFilippo said it was time for him to venture off on his own. He advised Jefferson to start a food truck.
And so began Swamp Religion.
The transition wasn’t too difficult, Jefferson said, but developing the menu and navigating the business side of things took a lot of time and effort.
“Your salary really depends on your hustle,” Jefferson said. “You’ve got to figure it out, get up and go to work every day. You’ve got to build a brand.”
Jefferson formed many close friendships with other Black restau-
rant owners, and they frequently support each other, he said. If one of them is double-booked, they’ll call each other to see if someone can step in and help cover.
While having a close-knit community is helpful, passion and drive are essential when pursuing business ventures, Jefferson said.
“Make sure you love what you do,” he said. “If you don’t have a passion for it, I wouldn’t do it. It’s gonna take a lot from you.”
Terrell’s Bar-B-Que
In January of 2000, Lesia Beard and her husband opened their food truck business, Terrell’s Bar-BQue, in Gainesville.
The pair started out in Ocala, but it didn’t work well, 64-yearold Beard said. Business started booming when they moved to Gainesville.
“We were selling maybe an 18-wheeler truckload of ribs, 50 cases a week,” she said. “It was a lot, and so we were very successful.”
Her husband’s family loves to cook, she said, which inspired Beard and her husband to start their food truck business.
For the Beards, the restaurant business and love of food runs in the family. Her husband’s brother, Roosevelt Beard, was the owner of Roosevelt’s Barbeque in Ocala. His sister owns a barbeque stand in Tallahassee, and two of his nephews own stands in Panama City and Ocala.
Beard and her husband sell Southern barbecue and side dishes like baked beans, macaroni and cheese, collard greens and coleslaw. Their slogan is “the best ribs in the South.”
One of Beard’s favorite memories of her food truck was their opening day.
“[My proudest moment was] seeing all those people lined up, waiting to taste Terrell’s barbecue for the first time,” she said.
D’s Comfort Food
Darcia Morse, the 35-yearold owner of D’s Comfort Food, opened the doors of her food truck in spring 2024.
It was her fiance, Shaka Scott, who inspired her to enter the food industry after recognizing her passion for cooking, Morse said. However, she needed to prove her dedication to him, so she spent a year offering catering services to the Hawthorne community, Morse said.
After that year, her fiance saw her commitment and supported her dream by buying her a food truck.
Morse said she and her husband work together in managing the food truck. Her daughter works with them when she has time off of school.
Morse worked as a nurse prior to entering the food business, but she decided to step away four or five years ago due to health concerns, she said.
Morse has lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease causing inflammation and pain throughout the body. Because the challenges of maintaining a strict work schedule became increasingly difficult for her, Morse said she wanted to become her own boss.
“Within my lupus journey, my biggest strength is just getting up and doing,” she said. “I think positive bias create positive lives, so I just choose to look at the glass half
full rather than half empty.”
Morse developed an interest in the food industry after learning to cook for her fiance, she said. During the first year of their relationship, he taught her how to cook Southern cuisine, an area she wasn’t very familiar with since she’s from New York. However, she’s grown to really love cooking Southern food, she said.
Some of her favorite dishes she’s curated include the macaroni and cheese; the gumbo greens, which combines collard greens with chicken, ham, smoked pork, sausage, shrimp and rice; the double smash burger and the “marry me” chicken, which is chicken coated in a creamy, sun-dried tomato sauce.
A significant part of her culinary journey took place under the mentorship of Tyrone Bennett, the owner of Heart & SoulFood Truck, Morse said.
“[Bennett] really taught me a lot about structure,” she said. “It’s a
lot to learn. That was definitely a great experience.”
While Morse loves her job, being a Black business owner comes with its unique set of challenges, she said.
When reaching out to other businesses for potential collaboration, there are places that either don’t respond to her messages or make her feel unwelcome, she said. While she finds this unfortunate, Morse remains optimistic. She said it’s inevitable, but they just try to stick to where they know to go.
What makes the job truly special to Morse is her customers. She strives to give them nothing but the best, she said, which is why she receives such strong support.
“It’s a good atmosphere,” Morse said. “It’s a really good, happy atmosphere. And my customers love me. I love my customers.”
@wynwg awang@alligator.org
Noah Lantor // Alligator Staff
Terrell’s Bar-B-Que truck sits on NE Waldo Road in Gainesville, Fla., on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.
What do the Vision, Change and Watch Parties want for UF?
Sports pass.
“I just love this place and I want to give back to it, because it was my dream school,” Cox said.
Change Party
Change Party, which currently holds a one-fifth minority in the Student Senate, announced a 70-point list of policy goals on social media Feb 11. The proposals range from supporting marginalized groups on campus, expanding transportation initiatives, creating a sustainable rent relief program for graduate students and reforming SG’s transparency by publishing detailed financial reports.
Joaquin Marcelino, Change’s vice presidential candidate, said he wants to get rid of “a lot of bureaucracy” and “wasteful spending.” He said SG should leverage its $24-million budget to revive UF’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which UF eliminated last year to comply with a new state law.
tions to student organizations.
Reinforcing support for graduate student housing and supplying a rent relief program is something of dire need for the graduate student population, Banach said.
“It’s a very strong thing that people are most in need of when it comes to how low… the wages that students are able to bring in relative to the rising housing crisis in the Gainesville market,” Banach said.
Change is also pushing for improvements of pedestrian safety, advocating for lowering parking citation costs and further transparency of the Gainesville Regional Transit System’s agreement with UF administration. In April 2024, UF proposed to cut the funding for RTS in half, but the university has since agreed to maintain current funding levels through 2025.
Watch Party
Watch Party, a recently formed third party focused on fair elections, is running its first executive ticket. The party ran its first slate of candidates for the Student Senate in the Fall semester but didn’t win any seats.
election map. He argued that one of the largest issues with the current at-large model of the election map is the elimination of representation of off-campus seats within District D.
The at-large map combined the historically minority party-voting District D, which held 12 seats for student senate, with districts A, B and E, which historically vote for the majority party, and district C which has leaned to either party in the past.
The party plans to reinstate five student senate seats for District D and establish voting locations on UF satellite campuses, the party platform stated on its Instagram account.
The party additionally promised a $250 campaign funding minimum for all parties running in elections to avoid independent parties facing monetary disadvantages.
Max Banach, the current senate minority party leader and Change’s treasurer candidate, said funds should be reallocated from SG-ran organizations such as the ACCENT Speakers Bureau and Student Government Produc -
“What this platform communicates is that we don’t care about whether or not you are left- or right-wing; we don’t care if you are Vision or Change,” Ortiz said. “We care about protecting the integrity and legitimacy of the electoral process that these other two parties depend on.”
@michaelangee mangee@alligator.org PLATFORM, from pg. 1
Alfredo Ortiz, a longtime SG official and Watch Party’s presidential candidate, said he and his running mate Ajay Pooran aim to reverse the Fall 2023 redistricting of the
Jea Nace // Alligator Staff
Black love showcased through art
The Gainesville community welcomes Black History Month
By Morgan Vanderlaan Alligator Staff Writer
Overlooked, underutilized and underpaid is how Terri Bailey said she would characterize the Black artistic community in Gainesville.
Born and raised in Gainesville, Bailey has witnessed firsthand how Black culture is “disappearing” from the neighborhoods she loves, she said. Now, as the owner of the Bailey Learning and Arts Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to community outreach, education and social justice through the arts, she’s committed to creating community spaces for Black artists.
On Feb. 15, in partnership with the Bailey Learning and Arts Collective, the City of Gainesville hosted the fifth annual “Celebration of Black, Love, Art and Poetry.” The event welcomed over 50 audience members and boasted a speaking list of multiple local visual and performing artists. From musicians to painters to poets, the Santa Fe College Downtown Campus came alive with themes of Black love and community.
The event celebrated “Black love,” a term which focuses on fostering a sense of community and embracing one another among Black individuals. With themes ranging from romantic relationships to
race relations, participants reflected on what being Black means to them.
Bailey’s first published book “Gainesville Proper” and documentary “When the Music was Cheap and Damn Near Free!” also made their debuts at the event, both on the topic of the rich Black history and experiences within Gainesville.
Events with an emphasis on coming together are more important than ever in the current political climate, Bailey said.
“We have to tell the stories so that we can preserve the history, so that our kids can understand they have value,” she said.
“Because if you turn on the TV and you walk through neighborhoods right now, kids don’t see themselves represented.”
However, making an event focused on lifting the voices of minority artists does come with its challenges, she said, particularly with financial strains from the state.
In June, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed all state arts and culture grants. Over $1 million was requested from Alachua County organizations alone, and though some applications were initially approved, all funds were later denied.
When the event was first hosted in 2019, Bailey said she received $5,000 to do the event. This year, the budget was only $1,000. She always pays her artists for performing, so she said she’ll most likely
have to make up for the deficit out of her own pocketbook.
“[But] it’s never going to discourage me or dissuade me from presenting a space and a platform for Black artists and performers [and] Black businesses and entrepreneurs to come and present themselves,” she said.
The City of Gainesville will continue to do everything in its power to help nonprofits affected by budget cuts, said Carol Velasques-Richardson, cultural affairs manager for Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs.
Gainesville leadership will continue to offer as much support as possible to as many organizations and individual artists as possible within the city, she said.
Black History Month events like the “Celebration of Black, Love, Art and Poetry” are meant to celebrate culture, she said.
“We want to celebrate our neighbors that live within our city,” VelasquesRichardson said.
Poetry is more than just an art form, it’s a lifestyle, said Alachua County Poet Laureate E. Stanley Richardson. His inspiration for writing comes from life, he said, because everything is poetry.
Richardson practices Black love everyday as a Black man, he said, but the event acts as a place to create connection and community.
“It’s difficult to explain unless you have the experiences of a Black person to understand how important it is to have certain spaces to celebrate Black love and joy specifically,” he said.
Richardson grew up in Alachua County and said he remembers when there was no representation for people who looked like him.
When he was a kid, seeing a Black person on TV was so rare that when it happened everyone would call their friends, he said. Black people weren’t a part of the mainstream media when he was younger.
As someone who remembers segregation, it wasn’t as long ago as younger generations perceive, he said. Richardson was in second grade when integration took place in Alachua County.
Living in a tension-filled political environment, there’s a need to focus on love instead of hate, said Tiffany Chisholm Pineda, a Gainesville-based poet.
Chisholm Pineda was formerly employed by UF in one of the DEI positions cut in March 2024 by DeSantis.
“In this climate, it is more intentional to buckle down on love, to buckle down on connection, and to see how we are all connected,” she said. “We’re more the same than we are different…it only takes a little bit of light to dispel darkness.”
Chisholm Pineda’s identity as African American, Creek and Seminole is central to her work, she said. Living in a culture based on oral storytelling, Chisholm Pineda takes a holistic approach to her writing where it’s impossible to separate her from her art. Poetry is for the whole person: the heart, the emotions and the spirit, she said.
Artists need to recognize that what they create and the work they do is important, she said.
“Even if it just matters to one person, that person is important enough for you to focus on them,” she said.
Her emotions and depiction of reality is what inspires Tesnie Louissaint, a 21-yearold UF nursing senior and president of UF’s Living Poet’s Society. Attending events like Black History Month art exhibitions and growing up around strong Black women helped Louissant find her own voice and reinforced the need for unity within her community, she said.
Black art is important to be expressed in all forms because it tells history and encourages connection, she said.
“My identity as a Black woman honestly helped me to understand what it means to be heard and be seen,” she said.
Events like the “Celebration of Black, Love, Art and Poetry” are necessary to show that Black people don’t need the government’s permission to express themselves, said Turbado Marabou, a Gainesville-based muralist. He was selling paintings he’d created at the art showcase, most of which were inspired by African and African American folklore and mythology.
Even if society doesn’t want to look, he said the Black community will continue meeting to celebrate art.
“Where would America be without the Black aesthetic?” he asked. “Where would America be without Black history?... It’s not just about Black history. It’s about American history, it’s about humanity’s history. And if we don’t do it, who else will?”
@morgvande mvanderlaan@alligator.org
Kade Sowers // Alligator Staff
Ameer Jackson reads a poem from his book ‘From a Moth to a Butterfly’ during the “Celebration of Black Love, Art and Poetry” event at Santa Fe College on Feb. 16, 2025.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2025
www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue
Music’s power to romanticize life through listening and loving
HOW THE
MUSIC
WE LISTEN TO DEEPENS RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH MEMORY ASSOCIATION
By Autumn Johnstone Avenue Staff Writer
Throughout many lives, change is inevitable, but music is one constant variable where people can learn how to love others and themselves.
Jacob Basil, a 21-year-old music education junior, listened to the Wallows his entire freshman year at UF. Due to what he calls the band’s introspective lyrics and nostalgic nature, Basil said the music enabled him to feel stronger while he navigated adjusting to the college lifestyle and cultivating new relationships.
Today, love songs cover many different themes — such as unrequited love, heartbreak and yearning — because they are all part of the human experience, Basil said.
In the past, Basil has been involved in imperfect romantic relationships, and after they ended, he found songs like “Hard Feelings/Loveless” by Lorde spoke to him through messages of self care like they never had before.
“In order to take care of other people and love them to the highest capacity, we need to do that for ourselves, too,” he said. “Otherwise, it’s not going to work out no matter how hard we try.”
FOOD
messages that we usually wouldn’t come across without it, he said.
Music’s impact on memory
Memory association within music goes deeper than a simple trigger of emotion. José Valentino Ruiz, a 37-year-old UF assistant professor in the school of music, said the brain’s limbic system, which governs emotions, interacts strongly with music. Songs capture the intensity of what someone felt at a certain time, which causes a person to “bookmark” a particularly emotional chapter in their life.
According to Ruiz, music makes the trust factor between two people stronger by sharing emotional experiences, whether it be joy, sorrow, nostalgia or triumph. Music can be connected to memories, bonding moments and shared emotions, Ruiz said.
“I think people walk, unfortunately, with a spirit of fear and walls [built up],” he said.
“Music has an ability to soften and bring people at ease — not just on a cognitive level.”
Music as a tool for learning and growth
For Basil, music has been the source of many life lessons ever since he started piano lessons when he was 7 years old. Thirteen years later, music still plays an integral role in his life. One of the first songs Basil associated with his current long-distance relationship is “Evergreen” by Yebba, since it alludes to waiting for someone and longing for love to remain evergreen despite hardship.
Music brings feelings to the surface that words alone can’t, and makes us encounter
Andrea Gamez, a 19-year-old UF music education freshman, also attests to music’s power to apply to her life. Gamez associates the love song “Sweet / I Thought You Wanted to Dance” by Tyler, the Creator with the “joyful” first time she went out with her boyfriend, because it played in the car on their way to the beach.
“Every time I listen to that song, I think about everything that went on that day and the experience of us getting together,” she said.
Yet, love songs don’t only apply to romantic relationships. Gamez said she also feels a deep connection to Juan Gabriel’s song “Amor Eterno,” which was written in remembrance of Gabriel’s late mother, because of its emotional depth. The song shows love’s ability to transcend life and death.
“If you’ve never lost anyone, the love that you have for the people here never [leaves you],” she said.
Music encouraged Gamez to be vulnerable with the people she loves, platonically and romantically. Even though actively being vulnerable was terrifying at first, songs like “Sweet / I Thought You Wanted to Dance” reminded her of how rewarding it is to trust the unknown, she said.
Another song close to Gamez’s heart is “Life Will Be” by Cleo Sol, which allowed her to romanticize a difficult time in her and her boyfriend’s lives.
“[It helped us realize] there’s beauty within the struggles in a way that creates a stronger personality,” she said.
As for how music romanticizes life in general, Gamez said it forces her to live in the moment and remain receptive to what she’s passionate about.
Read the rest online at alligator.org/ section/the_avenue.
@AutumnJ922 ajohnstone@alligator.org
Prepared meals store comes to Gainesville
IDEAL NUTRITION OPENED ITS DOORS
JAN.
26 AND OFFERS CONVENIENT, MICROWAVABLE MEALS
By Corey Fiske Avenue Staff Writer
When customers walk through the doors of Ideal Nutrition, they won’t find aisles of ingredients. Instead, they’ll find a row of glass-door refrigerators filled with prepared, microwavable meals.
Located at 3730 SW Archer Road, husband and wife duo Miguel Sosa and Gwen Toro own a new location of the Ideal Nutrition franchise, which sells prepared meals. Their store had its soft opening Jan. 26 and is currently preparing for its grand opening March 5, which will feature a DJ, raffles and prizes.
Sosa said he and Toro set a goal to sell at least 300 meals per day and have already exceeded that. The store has gained a lot of interest, he said, even beyond the Gainesville community.
“We’ve had people drive two-and-a-half from Palm Coast
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and Jacksonville, which is amazing,” Sosa said.
Toro and Sosa are already planning to establish another location in Orlando, which is set to open in August.
For Toro and Sosa, their franchise is also a family business. Their daughter, 20-year-old Isabela Sosa, works part-time at the store while also enrolled at Santa Fe College as a sophomore and plans to later attend nursing school. Isabella Sosa said she enjoys the meals and has even convinced one of her professors to try them.
“It’s just so convenient to have food already prepared — not partially cooked or frozen — that you can just grab and go,” she said.
Toro first became interested in meal prepping during her career as a registered nurse, she said. She noticed the health issues many of her patients were facing, like high cholesterol and hypertension, and decided she needed to make changes in her own life. Toro cleaned out her kitchen and started cooking from scratch.
By meal prepping, she was able to save time while eating healthier. Now, she eats meals from Ideal Nutrition at least once a day rather than cooking herself.
The store has microwaves and outside seating, so some customers choose to buy a meal and eat it right away. Others
buy as many as six at a time, opting to eat some fresh and freeze the rest. Each meal costs $8.49 and lasts five to six days in the refrigerator. Customers can freeze the meals at home for up to four weeks.
Madelynn Alyea, a 25-year-old athletic trainer for the University Athletic Association, said Ideal Nutrition has lower prices than similar meal prepping services she has found, like Hello Fresh and Factor.
“I have a crazy schedule, and the meals being made for you brought me in,” she said.
Each meal is prepared and delivered from a West Palm Beach kitchen twice a week and has nutrition labels printed on the packaging.
Two of the most popular meal options are the firecracker meatballs and baked chicken parmigiana. Out of the kitchen’s 43 options offered, four to eight of the meals sold at the store are switched out weekly to keep fresh options for customers. Ideal Nutrition also tries to cater to different dietary restrictions, such as paleo, keto, vegetarian and vegan.
Ideal Nutrition is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays.
cfiske@alligator.org
Madison McClelland // Alligator Staff
The relationship between music and romance brings up questions of song longevity and personal connection.
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Las personas sin hogar y sus batallas con la salud médica. Leer más en la página 11.
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UF’s graduate assistants deserve fair pay, not excuses
Icame to the University of Florida to pursue a degree, not to choose between rent and groceries. Yet, for many graduate assistants, including myself, this impossible choice is a monthly reality.
Despite working as teachers, researchers and essential contributors to the university’s success, graduate assistants are paid wages that barely cover basic living expenses, that is, if they do at all. The university claims to value its graduate workforce, but its stagnant stipends tell a different story.
In 2008, the minimum annual salary for a graduate assistant student at UF was $8,250, according to Graduate Assistants United. At the time, UF saw this as fair and acceptable for the work these students performed.
Since 2008, graduate assistant minimum pay has increased to $19,200. Though a significant improvement over time, this amount is less after inflation than what graduate assistants made in 2017 and less than the living wage of $42,576 in Gainesville. If nothing changes, it will continue to fall further behind.
As wages are stagnant for graduate assistants, more and more pressure is being placed on us to support the functioning and well-being of the university.
In 2023, graduate teaching assistants accounted for 16% of all full-time equivalent university employee salaries. To compare, graduate research assistants accounted for over 37% of these salaries.
UF clearly relies on graduate students to support the university at large, and yet, it continues to underpay and undervalue GAs’ work — primarily because it can.
Advocating for GAs, working to raise pay and address these systemic issues, is Graduate Assistants United. Since 1980, the first year graduate students were classified as employees, GAU has been working to improve the graduate assistant experience. Over these decades GAU has created and raised the minimum stipend, won affordable healthcare insurance options
Column
through GatorGradCare and won some protections against discriminatory hiring and firing practices.
GAU, in sum, represents the past, current and future graduate assistants, but the union is now under fire.
The UF Board of Trustees doesn’t believe in raising the graduate stipend enough, even though it publicly said it did following GAU’s last round of negotiations in Fall 2023.
In the negotiations with GAU, the board plays a key role, and if the members truly believed in paying GAs a fair stipend, GAU would have a much easier time in negotiating to achieve its goals to support all 4,000-plus graduate assistants at UF.
Instead, bargaining negotiations, which have been ongoing between the board of trustee proxy negotiators and GAU for over a year, have met brick wall after brick wall. Instead of discussion, change and progress, GAU has been met with refusal, disinterest and stagnation.
The negotiations itself aren’t meant to be quick by any means, as over two dozen articles in the GA contract are up for change.
Each side approaches the table with set goals, and by exchanging dozens of proposals and counterproposals, the process is intended to end someplace in the middle — a place that everyone can agree to.
However, as negotiations continue, the board of trustees has chosen several articles and topics it refuses to discuss or to work toward finding a middle ground for, some of which being:
1. Graduate Housing – While GAU presented an article to enshrine GA rights within graduate housing facilities, such as living with roommates and having pets, UF has refused to bargain over this topic in its entirety.
2. Discrimination – GAU presented major changes to this topic, ranging from increasing the protected classes, to enhancing the definitions of sexual harassment to setting aside funding to allow GAs in toxic work en-
vironments to find a new adviser. While UF did give a single counterproposal, board members have refused further bargaining, instead reiterating their first counterproposal, which was the smallest step forward from the existing contract language, and is much closer to stagnation than progress.
3. Stipends – GAU always begins its negotiations for stipends at a living wage, a value that UF repeatedly deems unserious, and its counterproposals hardly raise the minimum stipend to any significant degree, even as rent and the cost of living continues to grow. While UF faculty got a 4% raise in August, with some employees getting a $10,000 bonus, it seems none is to spare for graduate assistants, even though the raises came from an extra $25 million the university had to spare. The list goes on, including other topics like workload, appointments, reappointments and academic freedom.
If GAU and the university can’t agree on changes, the board of trustees can implement whatever language it wants, regardless of what any third party mediator or GAU wants. This perversion of justice is perhaps what the UF negotiating team envisions, as it doesn’t have to treat proposals from GAU with any degree of seriousness at the end of the day.
Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/opinions.
Austin Britton is the co-chief negotiator for Graduate Assistants United.
Costs mounting in Florida’s book removal battle
Florida’s book banning problem is rising — with no end in sight.
Currently, Florida ranks first in the country for volume of book titles prohibited in public school libraries, as by the American Library Association and the advocacy group PEN America.
These efforts, often framed as a way to protect children, fail to acknowledge the real harm caused by censorship and the misplaced priorities of those advocating for these removals. While commonly referred to as “banned,” the books are instead removed from shelves if the school board approves the challenge.
This book battle hits close to home as the Alachua County School Board has been actively addressing challenges to books within its school libraries. In October 2024, the board voted to retain nine challenged books on library shelves, following a review by the District Library Advisory Council.
In April, the Alachua County School Board unanimously approved the removal of two books, “The Sun and Her Flowers” by Rupi Kaur and “Haunted” by Chuck Palahniuk, due to objections over sexual content.
To manage the increasing number of book challenges, the district revised its review process in February 2024. Now, challenges are directed to school principals, then sent to a district-level advisory council for evaluation.
The Escambia County School Board has spent almost half a million dollars fighting to defend itself from multiple lawsuits regarding the removal of certain books from school libraries and classrooms.
One of the lawsuits has cost the district $200,000 and centers around the book “And Tango Makes Three.”
This book is based on the real-life story of two male penguins that successfully raised a baby penguin while living at the Central Park Zoo.
Perhaps they were inspired by the 1980s classic movie, “3 Men and A Baby,” an iconic film, also set in New York City, where bachelors Ted Danson, Steve Guttenberg and Tom Selleck raise an infant found on their doorstep.
Regardless of your stance on male penguins raising penguin chicks, or “3 Men and A Baby,” smart folks on both sides of the debate are shocked when they see the money
being spent trying to figure this out, and many people are thinking that this money could be better spent elsewhere.
Shielding students from these challenging topics doesn’t make it disappear; it only makes the topics harder to discuss in an open and informed way.
In Polk County, these book removals also come with a hefty price tag. In December, the county allocated significant resources to review, challenge and defend the removal of several books that have been in our schools for decades.
Interestingly, while these lawsuits in Florida have sprung up fairly recently, the books in question are nothing new, and have, in many cases, been there forever.
“And Tango Makes Three” has been in our schools for almost 20 years, as it was published in 2005.
I’ve talked to people on both sides, but most people agree the legal costs associated with defending these book removals could have been used to update aging textbooks, fund after-school programs or even — dare we say — give teachers a much needed raise.
And it’s not just about “And Tango Makes
The views expressed here are not necessarily those of
Three.” Other books involved in the lawsuits include books like “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, which won the Nobel Prize, and “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley.
Andrew Carswell opinions@alligator.org
The Florida Department of Education proudly touts its commitment to fiscal responsibility. Yet, somehow, that commitment doesn’t seem to extend to the legal fees piling up like overdue library books. Escambia County’s half million dollar tab is just the beginning. Add in Alachua County, Polk County, St. Johns, Miami-Dade and others, and the statewide cost of this legal fight is staggering.
Read the rest online at alligator.org/ section/opinions.
Andrew Carswell is a writing professor at Florida State College in Jacksonville. His Instagram is @thewritingprofessor904.
Austin Britton opinions@alligator.org
UF stands to lose tens of millions in medical research funding under Trump administration order
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH’S CAP ON GRANTS FOR INDIRECT COSTS IS ON HOLD AMID LAWSUITS
By Pristine Thai Alligator Staff Writer
UF could lose tens of millions of dollars in research funding this year if a change to the National Institutes of Health’s grant distribution policy survives a wave of legal challenges.
The new policy aims to cap the NIH’s reimbursement of overhead costs at 15% for university research grants. The move is part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to curb federal spending on higher education.
These cost-cutting measures have included a temporary freeze on billions of dollars in aid to universities, eliminating diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility activities from federally funded projects and plans to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, which provides hundreds of millions of dollars in university research grants.
NIH grants typically cover two types of costs: direct and indirect. Direct costs fund project-specific research needs like equipment, supplies, salaries and travel. Indirect costs, on the other hand, help cover overhead expenses like maintaining laboratories administrative costs.
Most universities typically negotiate their own indirect cost rates, which are proportional to a project’s direct costs; UF currently has a 52.5% rate, so up to about a third of its federal funding can be used for overhead. But the NIH’s proposed cap would set a uniform 15% ceiling for research institutions nationwide, meaning that institutions will only receive 15 cents to cover indirect costs for each dollar of direct cost funding.
For example, UF researchers with a $1 million grant can currently receive up to $525,000 additional funding for indirect costs. Under the new cap, that figure would be cut down to a maximum of $150,000.
As the state’s flagship university, UF received $268.9 million in NIH grant funding in fiscal year 2024 — more than any other research institution in the state, according to NIH RePORTER. An Alligator analysis of UF’s NIHfunded grants found that if the new cap were in place during fiscal year 2024, the university would have made $49 million less in indirect cost reimbursements.
The policy change has prompted legal action across the country. On Feb. 10, 22 Democraticled states, along with national medical and academic associations, filed lawsuits to block the new rule. In response, U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley issued a temporary nationwide restraining order, pausing the policy’s implementation until the cases are resolved. Florida has not
The new policy aims to cap the NIH’s reimbursement of overhead costs at 15% for university research grants. The move is part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to curb federal spending on higher education.
joined the legal challenge.
Despite the high stakes, UF faculty have largely remained silent. Thirteen researchers listed as principal investigators on NIH-funded projects either declined to comment, did not respond to inquiries or referred questions to the university’s Office of Public Affairs. UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldan wrote in an email that
The Alligator’s inquiries had been forwarded to her and shared previous messages from the
university.
UF administrators acknowledged the NIH’s proposal in a Feb. 10 memo to staff, assuring faculty that they were working to address the cap and that “university leadership values the vital work” of its researchers. After the federal judge blocked the funding cap, UF Vice President for Research David Norton announced in a follow-up memo that researchers can still submit proposals at the university’s previous
52.5% rate as long as the restraining order stands.
UF Government and Community Relations created a webpage to provide updates and guidance on federal funding changes and other executive orders from the Trump administration.
@pristinethai pthai@alligator.org
UF Health employees continue to complain of misconduct, more eyes begin to turn to accused physician
REPORTS SAY CHANGES ARE YET TO COME
By Avery Parker Alligator Staff Writer
An investigation into UF Health Jacksonville physician Dr. Barbara Knox in January revealed a series of complaints against the doctor, including bullying, patient endangerment and racism.
Since then, employees at the First Coast Child Protection Team have reported no change in Knox’s behavior and a lack of action from the university.
“Dr. [Mark] Hudak has refused to hold Dr. Knox accountable,” a CPT employee said, speaking anonymously out of fear of retaliation.
Despite claims the university has failed to take these complaints seriously, individuals outside the medical field have taken notice.
One of them, a lawyer based in Northeast Florida, said
Knox’s past conduct, combined with new complaints, is cause for serious concern regarding her influence in court. The lawyer is representing a client in a case centering on Knox’s testimony.
“Dr. Knox has a history of troublesome diagnoses that other doctors do not agree with, that courts do not agree with, that sometimes police do not agree with,” the attorney said, speaking anonymously in order to avoid compromising clients’ identities. “She can tear a family apart with just signing one report.”
Even when families are able to overturn decisions made based on Knox’s testimony, the attorney said, the legal fees associated with doing so can be enormous and damaging.
Financially, the attorney also raised concerns that Knox tends to profit from making accusations of child abuse as “she gets called in to testify, and she can charge hourly for that.”
However, she said prosecutors “are still relying on her word to take people’s children away, to file criminal charges.” Despite the ongoing complaints, Knox is still being called
upon to testify in court, the attorney said.
According to the attorney, UF’s lack of action is akin to an endorsement of Knox’s behavior. Moreover, she said UF endangers the Jacksonville community by continuing to allow Knox’s behavior to go unchecked.
“If [the] whole Child Protection Team quits, that puts [the] whole city in danger, and that’s exactly what she did in Alaska,” the attorney said.
Florida Department of Health communications director Jae Williams said “The department can neither confirm nor deny the receipt of any complaints or the existence of any ongoing investigations until 10 days after probable cause is found.” However, the department does investigate if it receives a complaint of medical misconduct, Williams said.
UF spokesperson Steve Orlando said the university does not comment on personnel matters.
This is a developing story.
Jea Nace // Alligator Staff
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6. HISTORY: What was the first National Monument proclaimed in the United States?
7. GEOGRAPHY: Where is the island of Luzon located?
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1.
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Answers
5. Women's Basketball Hall of Famer Jennifer Azzi won an NCAA championship in 1990 as a member of what team?
1. 63,360 inches
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2. Search for extraterrestrial intelligence
3. Below or insufficient
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4. Grover Cleveland
5. Katharine Hepburn
6. Devils Tower, 1906
7. The Philippines
8. “The Matrix”
9. The USS Nautilus
10. Pennsylvania, Short Line, Reading and B&O
Sudoku solution
El Caimán
LUNES, 17 DE FEBRERO DE 2025
www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman
Dueños de restaurantes afroamericanos comparten sus historias
EL APOYO DE LA COMUNIDAD, LOS SABORES SUREÑOS Y EL AMOR POR LA COCINA IMPULSAN LOS NEGOCIOS DEL CONDADO DE ALACHUA
Por Annie Wang Escritora de El Caimán
Traducido por Nicole Beltran Escritora de El Caimán
Los propietarios de restaurantes afroamericanos del condado de Alachua no sólo sirven platos deliciosos, sino que comparten historias de resiliencia, pasión y empuje.
Antonio Jefferson, de 36 años, propietario de Swamp Religion, empezó a trabajar en el restaurante The Swamp en Gainesville con Ron DeFilippo, su fundador.
Jefferson fue ascendiendo, pasando de lavar platos a preparar ensaladas, de cocinero de línea a jefe de cocina. Dirigió la cocina durante varios años y aprendió mucho de DeFilippo sobre gestión empresarial y el sector alimentario.
Unos años más tarde, Jefferson llegó al trabajo y le dijeron que estaba despedido. Cuando le preguntó a DeFilippo el motivo, le dijo que había llegado el momento de emprender por su cuenta. Le aconsejó que
montara un camión de comida.
Y así empezó Swamp Religion.
La transición no fue demasiado difícil, dice Jefferson, pero el proceso de desarrollar el menú y navegar por el lado empresarial de las cosas llevó mucho tiempo y esfuerzo.
“Tu sueldo depende de tu empuje”, dijo Jefferson. “Tienes que resolverlo, levantarte y trabajar todos los días. Tienes que construir una imagen.
Jefferson ha establecido una amistad cercana con otros restauradores afroamericanos, y con frecuencia se apoyan mutuamente. Si uno de ellos tiene una doble reserva, se llaman para ver si alguien puede ayudar a cubrirla.
Aunque contar con una comunidad unida es útil, la pasión y el empuje son esenciales a la hora de emprender un negocio, afirma Jefferson.
“Asegúrate de que te gusta lo que haces”, afirmó. “Si no te apasiona, yo no lo haría. Te va a exigir mucho”
Terrell's Bar-B-Que
En enero de 2000, Lesia Beard y su marido abrieron su negocio de camiones de comida, Terrell's Bar-B-Que, en Gainesville.
Empezaron en Ocala, pero no funcionó bien, dijo Beard, de 64 años. El negocio empezó a crecer cuando se trasladaron a Gainesville.
“Vendíamos tal vez un camión de 18 ruedas cargado de costillas, 50 cajas a la semana”, explicó. “Era mucho, así que tuvimos mucho éxito”.
A la familia de su marido le encanta cocinar, dijo, lo que inspiró a Beard y a su marido a iniciar su negocio de camiones de comida.
A la pareja Beard, el negocio de la restauración y el amor por la comida les viene de familia. El hermano de su marido, Roosevelt Beard, era propietario de Roosevelt's Barbeque en Ocala. Su hermana tiene un puesto de barbacoa en Tallahassee, y dos de sus sobrinos tienen puestos en Panama City y Ocala.
Beard y su marido venden barbacoa sureña y guarniciones como alubias cocidas, macarrones con queso, berza y ensalada de col. Su eslogan es “las mejores costillas del Sur”.
Uno de los recuerdos favoritos de Beard de su food truck fue el día de su inauguración.
“[Mi momento de mayor orgullo fue] ver a toda esa gente haciendo cola, esperando para probar la barbacoa de Terrell por primera vez”, dijo.
D's Comfort Food
Darcia Morse, la dueña de 35 años de D's Comfort Food, abrió las puertas de su camión de comida en la primavera de 2024.
Fue su prometido, Shaka Scott, quien la inspiró para entrar en la industria alimentaria tras reconocer su pasión por la cocina, cuenta Morse. Sin embargo, necesitaba demostrarle su dedicación, así que pasó un año ofreciendo servicios de catering a la comunidad de Hawthorne, explicó Morse.
Después de ese año, su prometido vio su compromiso y apoyó su sueño comprándole
un camión de comida.
Morse dijo que ella y su marido trabajan juntos en la gestión del camión de comida. Su hija trabaja con ellos cuando tiene tiempo libre.
Morse trabajó como enfermera antes de entrar en el negocio de la comida, pero decidió retirarse hace cuatro o cinco años debido a problemas de salud, dijo.
Morse padece lupus, una enfermedad autoinmune crónica que provoca inflamación y dolor en todo el cuerpo. Como cada vez le resultaba más difícil mantener un horario de trabajo estricto, Morse dijo que quería ser su propia jefa.
“En mi experiencia con el lupus, mi mayor fortaleza es levantarme y seguir adelante”, afirmó. “Creo que las predisposiciones positivas crean vidas positivas, así que elijo ver el vaso medio lleno en lugar de medio vacío”.
Morse se interesó por el sector alimentario después de aprender a cocinar para su prometido. Durante el primer año de su relación, él le enseñó a cocinar comida sureña, un ámbito con el que ella no estaba muy familiarizada porque es de Nueva York. Sin embargo, le encanta cocinar comida sureña.
Lea el resto en línea en alligator.org/section/elcaiman.
@wynwg awang@alligator.org
La atención médica sigue inadecuada para la comunidad de personas sin hogar en Gainesville
LOS EXÁMENES BÁSICOS DE SALUD, LAS RECETAS Y LA ASISTENCIA NUTRICIONAL SIGUEN NECESITANDO UNA GRAN DEMANDA
Por Avery Parker Escritor de El Caimán
Hace un año, los indigentes que vivían en “la ciudad de las carpas” se despertaron y encontraron avisos de desalojo pegados a sus carpas, carritos y mochilas.
Los avisos llegaron como parte de los esfuerzos de la ciudad para desalojar a la comunidad de personas sin hogar del sureste. Una ley de Florida de 2024 prohibió simultáneamente a los condados y municipios permitir acampar en propiedad pública, con la excepción de la propiedad establecida para ese propósito bajo la aprobación estatal.
Si bien el acceso a la vivienda es un problema importante para las personas sin hogar, el acceso a la atención médica sigue siendo un problema menos comprendido pero progresivamente persistente.
Entre las 639 personas sin hogar estimadas en el Condado de Alachua, el 95% de las encuestadas por el Departamento de Salud del Condado de Alachua reportaron dificultades para acceder a los servicios de salud en el 2024. Estos servicios pueden variar desde simples exámenes físicos hasta procedimientos de cardiología.
A pesar de la falta de recursos médicos para la comunidad de personas sin hogar, las organizaciones con sede en el condado de Alachua están interviniendo para marcar la diferencia.
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Acceso fácil
UF HealthStreet se esfuerza por reducir las disparidades en el acceso a la atención médica a través de la investigación. El programa ofrece evaluaciones de salud, que a menudo revelan problemas de salud subyacentes que de otro modo podrían pasar desapercibidos; servicios oftalmológicos semestrales, que pueden ayudar a proporcionar atención de la visión; y distribución y capacitación de Narcan, que tiene como objetivo prevenir sobredosis fatales entre las personas sin hogar, una comunidad excepcionalmente vulnerable a la adicción a las drogas. Todos estos servicios están disponibles en el lugar en la clínica 2401 SW Archer Road.
Otros servicios en el lugar incluyen una despensa de alimentos, un armario de ropa y la provisión de referencias médicas y pases de autobús las 24 horas.
Vernita Canteen, una residente de Gainesville de 33 años, dijo que confía en UF HealthStreet para una variedad de sus necesidades. Canteen ha experimentado la falta de vivienda de vez en cuando, y dijo que lucha por viajar a lugares esenciales como supermercados o tiendas de ropa.
"Necesito encontrar un dentista, ellos me ayudan a encontrar un dentista. Y muchas otras cosas: gafas, todo", dijo. "Comestibles, ropa si necesitas ropa, artículos de tocador si los necesitas".
Según el director de operaciones de HealthStreet, Robert Baez, la misión de la organización radica en "abordar los determinantes sociales de la salud y facilitar el acceso [a la atención médica]".
Uno de los mayores problemas de salud que enfrenta la población sin hogar en Gainesville, dijo Báez, es básico: el acceso a necesidades básicas como la comida.
“Ser capaz de proporcionar [alimentos] a las personas ha
sido muy energizante”, dijo Báez. “Mucha gente viene a HealthStreet por los recursos que ofrecemos, y al mismo tiempo [nosotros] somos capaces de vincularlos con la investigación con las referencias que pueden estar buscando”.
A pesar de los esfuerzos que HealthStreet ha hecho para apoyar a la población sin hogar y a otros grupos del condado de Alachua, las limitaciones aún impiden una gama completa de servicios médicos para la comunidad.
Por un lado, Báez dijo que recibir fondos y recursos adecuados siempre es una lucha, con artículos de tocador, ropa y otras necesidades a menudo se agotan rápidamente. Y, mientras que la clínica proporciona apoyo médico directo y exámenes, los tratamientos de seguimiento a menudo requieren referencias y motivación personal por parte del cliente.
"Depende de la persona hacer un seguimiento de la referencia, programar citas y demás", dijo Báez.
Además, las necesidades de salud más complejas, como el tratamiento del cáncer, pueden estar más allá del alcance de la organización, dejando a las personas sin hogar a sus propios dispositivos sin apoyo monetario o el respaldo de los proveedores de seguros.
Apoyo establecido
Grace Healthcare Service Corp., establecida en 2016 en el campus de GRACE Marketplace, brinda a los residentes del condado de Alachua acceso a la atención médica a través de las clínicas y la farmacia gratuita de sus instalaciones.
Lea el resto en línea en alligator.org/section/elcaiman.
@AveryParke98398 aparker@alligator.org
Síganos para actualizaciones Para obtener actualizaciones de El Caimán, síganos en línea en www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2025
www.alligator.org/section/sports
MEN'S TENNIS
Across the pond: A sophomore’s journey to UF’s men’s tennis program
HENRY JEFFERSON GAINED A NEW APPRECIATION FOR WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PART OF FLORIDA’S MEN’S TENNIS PROGRAM
By Curan Ahern Sports Writer
Most four-year-olds are usually caught up in imaginary play: the world of superheroes and villains and endless make-believe adventures. But not Henry Jefferson.
The UF sophomore picked up a slew of sports in his preschool years, playing soccer, rugby, cricket and golf.
“From about 4 to 13, I played four or five sports,” Jefferson said.
However, around the age of 13, the Englishman began to separate himself from the competition in tennis, a game his parents loved and one he found a passion for through his years of play.
Growing up a stone's throw away from Wimbledon and raised by parents who were tennis fans, Jefferson found himself immersed in the sport from a young age. He became accustomed to watching major tennis events unfold down the street and seeing his favorite players on television. Jef-
TRACK & FIELD
ferson could nearly feel the aura of the highlevel tennis the tournament hosted.
When he was 15, Henry began to turn heads in international tennis play, as he found success in tournaments like the J5 Vale do Lobo, J5 Montemar and J30 Liver-
pool. Jefferson views his success in his early teenage years as the time when he learned tennis was his passion.
“I saw my development and [started] to get some success, and I was like, ‘I really love this sport, and it’s something that I want to do every day and give my life to,’” he said.
In July 2023, Henry finally got his shot to play in the Junior Championships at Wimbledon, defeating Ukraine’s Volodymyr Iakubenko in the first round.
Having grown accustomed to the atmosphere and stardom of major events, Jefferson was barely fazed as friends, family and coaches alike bustled into the venue. He went as far as saying he felt more nervous in his first college matches than in his initial outings at Wimbledon.
Jefferson’s success didn’t stop there, though, as he signed with Florida four months later and continued to develop. He went on to win the ITF J100 Loughborough title that December.
Jefferson highlighted his first singles title victory at Loughborough and overall success as a driving force that makes it feel like the work he has put in is going towards something bigger. After all, with 32 players in a tournament and only one winner, coming out on top at the end of the week is
pretty special.
Florida head coach Adam Steinberg noted former UF assistant coach Mat Cloer was at Wimbledon only a month before Jefferson won his first singles title in Loughborough and admired his skill set, his athletic ability and his “big game.” He then decided to get the ball rolling with Jefferson’s recruitment.
Now playing collegiate singles, Jefferson, who’s studying sport management, feels right at home at UF. He revealed that after speaking with many schools during the recruiting process, the Florida coaches’ passion for UF was one of the major factors leading to his decision to play with the Gators.
Steinberg emphasized his belief that Florida is “the best athletic university in the country and the best tennis program in the country.” Having established assistant coaches who were passionate about the university when he began his coaching tenure at Florida helped Steinberg zone his staff in on core values of Florida, its tennis program and its history.
Read the rest online at alligator.org/ section/sports.
@CuranAhern cahern@alligator.com
Eight hamstring tears and still at the top: Jenoah McKiver’s battles with injury
THE REDSHIRT SENIOR IS NOW HEALTHY AND SETTING COLLEGIATE TRACK AND FIELD ON FIRE
By Paul Hof-Mahoney Sports Writer
On a warm day in Gainesville in May, Jenoah McKiver was going through a typical workout on the Percy Beard Track. The redshirt junior was gearing up for the NCAA East First Round, with the goal of qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in his first season as a Gator.
Midway through a 200-meter rep, he felt something in his right leg, but powered on. A few seconds later, he felt it again. This time, it wasn’t something he could keep working through — something he had become all too familiar with in his collegiate career.
Between February 2021 and May 2024, McKiver tore his hamstrings on eight occasions. Each and every time, he’s fought his way back to the start line.
“One of the biggest things is something that my father said,” McKiver said. “‘Once you start something, finish it.’ ... My mentality coming back was that once I get right, I figure out my body and I figure out how to stay healthy, I will show people how well I can be and what I’m capable of.”
McKiver’s journey as an NCAA athlete began at the University of Iowa. Arriving in Iowa City as a three-time North Carolina state champion in high school, Iowa was also where his journey with injuries commenced.
In only his third meet representing the Hawkeyes, he suffered his first hamstring tear. The tear started a cycle
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that followed McKiver throughout his three years at Iowa. He had strong performances, like a national runner-up finish in the 400-meter at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships and a pair of Big Ten titles, but consistency was hard to come by.
The fourth hamstring tear of McKiver’s career came in what would prove to be his final race at Iowa. Despite being the third-fastest qualifier at the 2023 NCAA West First Round in the 400-meter, he was forced to pull out of the final and end his season early.
After the unexpected conclusion to his 2023 campaign, McKiver sought a change in scenery entering his fourth collegiate year and put his name in the transfer portal. Despite his medical history, McKiver had proved to be one of the fastest quarter-milers in the nation and drew interest from three SEC powerhouses: Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.
“[When] I went to Georgia, I was very convinced I was going to go there,” McKiver said. “But before I even entered the portal, I was like, ‘I believe I want to get coached by Holloway.’”
Along with the pedigree of a men’s program that has 11 team national titles, the coaches and training staff in Gainesville proved they could properly manage hamstring injuries for 400-meter runners.
Champion Allison transferred to UF from Alabama prior to the 2022 season. He tore his hamstring at the NCAA Indoor Championships that year, but came back to finish runner-up at both the Summer NCAA and the United States Outdoor Championships.
The opportunity to come into an environment that understood his situation and knew how to work with athletes like him appealed to McKiver.
From a purely athletic perspective, though, training un-
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der a coach like Florida head coach Mike Holloway and being pushed each day in practice by a team as strong as Florida’s excited McKiver. His first practice as a Gator was the first time in years that McKiver wasn’t the fastest man on his team, which fueled his mentality to be the best. It’s that same mentality that made him stand out to Holloway while he was in the portal.
“It wasn’t even about him being NCAA runner-up,” Holloway said. “It was more about just watching him, I loved the way he competed, he never backed down to anybody.
I just thought he was special.”
McKiver’s first season as a Gator was successful on paper, as he earned First-Team All-American honors with the indoor and outdoor 4x400-meter relay teams. Unfortunately, it wasn’t without its negatives. In a span of about nine months, McKiver tore his hamstring four more times.
After his sixth tear in late November 2023, McKiver turned to therapy to handle the trauma that came with his repetitive injury history.
“I was traumatized so much, because it kept recurring and just coming back,” he said. “I was always afraid of hearing that sound again and feeling it again.”
While conversations with his therapist and coaches helped McKiver feel comfortable again on the track from the mental side of things, his work with the training staff revealed the underlying reasons that were causing his hamstring problems to be so persistent.
Read the rest online at alligator.org/ section/sports.
@phofmahoney phof-mahoney@alligator.org
Follow us for updates For updates on UF athletics, follow us on Twitter at @alligatorSports or online at www.alligator.org/section/sports.
Jonah Hoffman // Alligator Staff
UF tennis player Henry Jefferson celebrates during a match against the University of North Florida on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025.
