BREAKING: Key West comes fast with the holiday cheer for the food insecure
After public outcry over a failed funding effort and widely criticized comments from the dais, the City Commission has awarded $75,000 to nonprofits at breakneck speed.
The City of Key West announced Monday evening on social media that it has distributed $75,000 to local human-service providers to address food insecurity on the island, following public backlash over an earlier City Commission vote that many residents and advocates described as tone-deaf.
Eleven nonprofit organizations received up to $7,500 each after the City Commission unanimously approved the funding on Dec. 10 during a special meeting called specifically to address public outcry. City officials said checks were issued within days using an expedited, online application process.
The unanimous vote marked a sharp reversal from an earlier commission decision that declined to immediately fund food-assistance efforts despite growing concern about hunger among working families in the Southernmost City.
During that earlier debate, Mayor Danise Henriquez dismissed living paycheck to paycheck as “nothing new to families here,” as the conversation turned to peanut-butter-and-jelly meals and children rationing their sandwiches for siblings at home.
The remarks drew swift criticism from residents and service providers, who said they minimized the severity of food insecurity on the island, particularly as national budget battles and shutdown threats renewed concerns about access to federal nutrition assistance programs.
Pressure on the commission intensified following reporting by Above the Fold, which documented the initial vote, the mayor’s remarks, and the community response.
Within days, commissioners called a special meeting and unanimously approved a fast-tracked funding mechanism aimed at getting aid to nonprofits before the holiday season.
According to the city’s post, applications were reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.
The recipients are: A Positive Step of Monroe County; AH of Monroe County; Bethel AME Church; Boys and Girls Club of the Keys; Center of Prayer Ministries; Cornish Memorial AME Zion Church; Florida Keys Outreach Coalition; Glad Tidings Tabernacle; Monroe Association of ReMARCable Citizens; Saint James First Missionary Baptist Church; and Samuel’s House.
“We’re proud of a system that allowed us to turn applications into aid so quickly,” Acting City Manager Rod Delostrinos said in the post. “We’re just glad to help our community.”
The episode underscored a recurring dynamic at City Hall: meaningful action on food insecurity only materialized after public pressure, sustained scrutiny, and a forced do-over — not during the initial vote, when the need was already clear.