My Story

At Joseph Dreamhouse CDC, our mission sounds the core values of service, compassion, and humanity.  Joseph Dreamhouse CDC gives families access to nutritious foods while eliminating the humiliation that exists when the working poor are unable to feed their families. Joseph Dreamhouse CDC is committed to being a resource for families to turn to in times of despair to increase aid and end the stigma behind food insecurity.

Joseph Dreamhouse CDC has been providing nutritious, healthy foods to the community since 2012, starting off in a small space in a local church and growing continuously until becoming incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization in 2015.  Since 2015, the number of individuals served has been on the rise with our clientele more than tripling in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.  In 2020, Joseph Dreamhouse CDC served 161,000 individuals, including 75,178 food insecure children.  This number is quickly rising.  As of December 31, 2021, Joseph Dreamhouse CDC distributed 1,543,759 pounds of food to 263,325 individuals, 112,114 of which were children—a 64% increase from the same date the year prior.  So far, as of January 31, 2022, Joseph Dreamhouse CDC has distributed 121,388 pounds of food to 20,030 individuals—a 96% increase from the same date the year prior.  While our primary focus is to serve Broward and Miami-Dade counties in South Florida, Joseph Dreamhouse CDC has also extended its services internationally on multiple occasions—to countries such as Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Haiti, Chili, and Jamaica—in times of natural disaster.

While Joseph Dreamhouse CDC widens its scope of services in times of exigent need, our core area of service remains in critical need itself.  Joseph Dreamhouse CDC serves sixteen cities within Broward and Miami-Dade Counties in South Florida. Florida is the twelfth state in the nation ranked for food insecurity.  In South Florida alone, over 1,074,702 people suffer from food insecurity.  Both Broward and Miami-Dade counties have demonstrated high rates of resource insecurity and poverty compared to national averages.  In fact, of the counties that comprise South Florida, Broward County holds the highest percentage of food insecure families at 15.5% (or 281,940).  It bears repeating that the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic has only deepened this crisis.  Joseph Dreamhouse CDC is facing an increase in demand for services and is struggling to meet the rising need with limited resources.  

Though the past year has brought nearly insurmountable challenges, Joseph Dreamhouse CDC has fought to remain open, rising to the challenge and increasing the breadth of our services throughout the region.  Joseph Dreamhouse CDC now feeds an average of 1,550 people a day throughout Broward and Miami-Dade Counties—of which 584 are children, 549 are adults, and 417 are seniors.  Joseph Dreamhouse CDC’s primary objective is to lower the rate of malnourished, food insecure families and promote healthier eating habits throughout the communities served via the distribution of healthful and nutrient dense groceries.  Hunger is a household issue, situated at the very foundation of overall health and well-being.  Food insecurity has detrimental effects on both the physical and mental health of those suffering.  Joseph Dreamhouse CDC thus aims to improve health outcomes through the increase in community-based food access. Every child that does not go to bed hungry at night, every family that is able to receive nutritious food constitutes a huge success and validation of our core mission.