Who We Are

Touching Miami with Love

An Overview

 
Touching Miami with Love Ministries (TML) was founded in 1995 by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship alongside local Miami churches. For nearly twenty-five years, we have been serving the needs of the communities of Overtown and West Homestead specifically serving children, youth, and their families. Through our holistic year-round programs, we serve nearly 400 students every weekday as well as all-day on most Teacher Planning Days, Spring Break, and Summer.

We provide layers of services to ensure that each child gets the support they need to succeed. All students in K-5^th enjoy Group Literacy, Fitness, and Social-Emotional Learning. Weekly Devotional Time in the school year and daily in the summer provide for spiritual development. Our In-School Case Management support with our Instructional Advocates on staff ensures strong connections to our partner schools and supports student achievement as we meet with teachers, counselors, and school staff. Touching Miami with Love staff have attended hundreds of Parent-Teacher Conferences, been invited to serve on ESAC committees, and are active in our partner schools daily. All students have homework support including access to technology. Those students needing additional academic support get individualized Reading Intervention and Math Tutoring with our TML staff Tutors. Children experiencing social-emotional struggles meet with our Social Work Interns through our long-standing partnership with the Schools of Social Work from Barry University and FIU.

Youth in 6-12^th grades have daily access to Academic Support, Social Emotional Learning, Arts and Culture, Sports, Civic Engagement, Technology, College Readiness, and Job Training. Each week at both sites there is one night dedicated to Spiritual Development. The evening begins with a sit-down meal and time of sharing among staff, volunteers and students. With all the fun of a traditional youth group, students learn about the God who loves them and are challenged to respond. Students tackle tough issues like Systemic Injustices, as well as take part in annual volunteer events to impact Global Poverty. Additionally, youth look forward to our yearly out of town spiritual retreats for OASIS Camp each spring break with our partners at Branches.

Our programs alone are often not enough to break strongholds. Our partnerships provide intensive therapy to children and youth at TML.  The University of Miami’s Mailman Center for Child Development staff has therapy rooms at both our locations with staff at each for Parent-Child Interactive Therapy. Furthermore, we are a satellite office of Wellspring Christian Counseling in our West Homestead site providing trauma therapy to children, youth, and families of TML. We host therapy visits for children and youth with Wellspring at our Overtown Site. Through these essential partnerships, we truly serve the whole child.