Once a week, in a quiet corner of the library, a small group of people are changing lives. Led by South Miami Police Officer Rodney Napier, they are helping those who may need it most.
In the program, called Operation Lazarus, Officer Napier, together with case workers from Camillus House meets with members of South Miami's homeless population on a weekly basis. The program aims to give homeless people a path to recovery and productivity.
For approximately 10 weeks, the team guides attendees through the challenges of getting back on their feet. From helping get basic documents like social security cards and birth certificates, to finding employment and housing. Lazarus helps people rise again and reclaim their lives.
Officer Napier says the goal is not to simply move the homeless across some city line to make them someone else's issue, it is to provide them with the helping hand needed to overcome obstacles.
The program has been in place for just over a year. In that time, more than a dozen people have been helped go from homeless to hopeful.