Each Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., St. Augustine Church in Coral Gables hosts their PB&J Sandwiches for the Homeless Project. Children from all grade levels along with community members make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to feed Miami’s homeless population.
The church, working with Camillus House, delivers the lunch sandwiches the next day.
“It’s a wonderful way to see how every single member of this parish, and even beyond, has decided to give back,” said parishioner and volunteer group leader Jen McNally, “which is such a testament to the faith and the community we’re a part of here at St. Augustine.”
Each week, the kids, who earn service hours, come with their loaves of bread and jars of peanut butter, and St. Augustine provides ample room to get the job done. It is a community building experience for the church, and one with tangible results for the wider public.
The room is full of laughter and smiles from children and adults alike, as well as the light scent of peanut butter, as everyone comes together to do their part for the homeless in Miami.
Though on a slight decline now, per the recent census, greater Miami’s unhoused community continues to struggle and be vilified by recent legislation as the places they can camp become more heavily monitored and less accessible.
The homeless feeding project, part of St. Augustine since 1995, makes about 1,800 sandwiches on its busiest Wednesdays. On slower days, volunteers can make 1,000, according to McNally.
The project would not be possible without the volunteers who give their time each week.
McNally has been volunteering and parishioning at St. Augustine for about five years. Her role requires keeping the kids on task and overseeing the turnout each week.
“[Volunteering] also allows me to be a special part of that, to help others fulfill our role of ‘loving our neighbors’,” said McNally.
People of all ages participate in the project, including mother-son duo Sasha Lavin and Sebastian Gonzalez, who’ve been making sandwiches since March 2025. Lavin is a volunteer group leader. “We do this to give back to the community, and for him to get community service hours,” she said.
“And to spend time together,” Sebastian said, smiling.
Both Lavin and Sebastian help keep the event organized and running smoothly, setting tables and giving out supplies to the other volunteers that come in.
“They are all great-hearted people,” said Lavin, “because they all have the same common goal of giving back to the community and feeding those who are in need.”
On a much larger scale, Camillus House’s various humanitarian services, including food and showers, provide the homeless with a place to go. St. Augustine helps to keep their food in stock with their sandwiches.
Camillus House has provided over 200,000 meals to the homeless of Miami-Dade County over the last year, and is still counting. Its Day Center is where the food is served, including the sandwiches from the church, which are handed out.
“St. Augustine’s homeless ministry together with the ability to serve at Camillus House gives us and the other members of the Thursday Crew the opportunity to serve our Lord by serving the homeless with love and respect,” said Paul Jones, one of St. Augustine’s sandwich delivering volunteers of the homeless ministry.
Projects like St. Augustine’s PB&J’s provide connection and the opportunity for service in the Coral Gables community – helping unhoused people of greater Miami one sandwich at a time.
“It’s quick and it’s easy. It’s an hour,” said McNally, the group leader. “You’ll never imagine how much can be accomplished in just an hour… You’ll leave knowing that you made a difference.”
If you would like to volunteer or donate to the PB&J for the Homeless Project, visit St. Augustine’s website to register.
