Hialeah is giving away $250 grocery gift cards on Friday

Hialeah residents struggling to buy groceries during the pandemicmight be eligible to receive free $250 gift cards on Friday for Fresco y Más or Sedano’s Supermarket.

About 5,000 families are expected to be helped by the COVID-19 relief program, Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez said at a news conference Tuesday. Applications and affidavits became available online Wednesday at www.hialeahfl.gov and at four locations across the city.

The gift cards will be distributed Friday starting at 8 a.m. at the Hialeah Park Racing & Casino, 100 E 32nd St., on a first-come, first-serve basis. Without the completed application, Hialeah residents will not be eligible for the gift card. For COVID-19 safety reasons, all residents must also pick up the gift card in a vehicle, said Hernandez.

The program is similar to one that Miami has been doing this month.

The money used by both cities to buy the gift cards will be reimbursed by Miami-Dade County using federal CARES Act dollars. Under federal rules, the money must be spent by Dec. 31.

Here’s what Hialeah residents who want to apply for the $250 gift card need to know:

Here’s what you need:

Have a Florida driver’s ● license or a Florida Identification card that shows you live in an address that is within the city of Hialeah’s limits. You must make a copy of your ID and also bring the original ID with you Friday.

Download, print and sign an application and affidavit that says you have faced financial hardships because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The application can be found at: http://www. hialeahfl.gov/Document Center/View/12527/ Hialeah-COVID-19Grocery-Gift-Card

Application

You can also pick up a copy (in English or Spanish) at the following locations on Thursday at 7 a.m:

John F. Kennedy Li

●

brary, 190W49th St.

Goodlet Park, 4200W 8th Ave.

Carl F. Slade Park, 2501

●

W74th St.

Babcock Park. 651 E 4th Ave.

The document must be notarized. The city says it will provide free notary services on Friday at Hialeah Park Racing & Casino.

Remember, you will need to take the application and affidavit, a copy of your Florida driver’s license or Florida Identification card, and the original ID with you Friday to get the gift card at Hialeah Park Racing & Casino. You also need to be in a vehicle.

Only one gift card will be given per household.

The city says some exceptions will be made such as if multiple households live in the same property address but that it will be on a caseby-case basis.