GALATA Inc.

About Us

Galata is a social services agency which provides services indiscriminately to minorities and low income residents of Homestead and Florida City.  Our clientele consists of Haitians, African Americans and Hispanics; however, the agency’s primary target is the severely disadvantaged and under-served Haitian refugee community.  Generally, the programming needs of Haitian elders remain hidden by traditional undercounting by existing Census methodologies and/or due to the general lack of focus of mainstream agencies on this ethnic-based target population.

Who we are…

Galata is a social services agency which provides services indiscriminately to minorities and low income residents of Homestead and Florida City.  Our clientele consists of Haitians, African Americans and Hispanics; however, the agency’s primary target is the severely disadvantaged and underserved Haitian refugee community.  Generally, the programming needs of Haitian elders remain hidden by traditional undercounting by existing Census methodologies and/or due to the general lack of focus of mainstream agencies on this ethnic-based target population.

Elderly Programs

Galata is a social services agency which provides services indiscriminately to minorities and low income residents of Homestead and Florida City.  Our clientele consists of Haitians, African Americans and Hispanics; however, the agency’s primary target is the severely disadvantaged and underserved Haitian refugee community.  Generally, the programming needs of Haitian elders remain hidden by traditional undercounting by existing Census methodologies and/or due to the general lack of focus of mainstream agencies on this ethnic-based target population.

According to the Social Services Master Plan (SSMP) of Dade County, the need for elderly services is overwhelming, especially among the Haitians and the indigenous African Americans living in the Deep South Dade. These surveys, together with a need assessment conducted by Galata, verified these aforementioned findings.

This population is among the most underserved members of the South Dade communities.  Accordingly, they currently face severe issues, such as lack of French/Creole speaking medical personnel working in medical facilities, significant cultural barriers and misinformation and miscommunication throughout elderly Haitian communities as to public assistance availability and eligibility criteria.  Galata aims to bridge the gap in services provided to this population.

A large percentage of our elderly Haitians, Hispanic and other minorities are living within the poverty range. Eighty percent (80%) of counted refugee/immigrant populations are documented as receiving earnings of only minimum wage due to lack of training and education that prevents them from participating in the professional and paraprofessional workforce.

These elders have been experiencing economic, social and financial hardships due to legal, language and cultural barriers. In the case of our elderly Haitian farm-workers, they are faced with the choices of going to the farms, asking their children for help, or attending school, the latter of which doesn’t offer immediate rewards. On the farms, the elderly people have little exposure to acculturation or socialization skills that are of extreme importance in their adjustment process of living in a new country.

The problems of minority elders, especially Haitians, are too significant for Galata to ignore and in keeping with its mission; the agency has committed itself to meeting the significant special needs of this population.  Minority elders living in those communities are also considered living in poverty and Haitian elders in Homestead and Florida City are ranked to be the poorest due to language, cultural, illiteracy and immigration barriers.  Welfare cuts have caused a significant reduction of many elders’ food stamp allocations, and many elders do not get proper nutrition because their food stamps have been reduced and many don’t understand how the American system works as it relates to Medicaid health benefits.   This also hinders their access to health care which they cannot otherwise afford but is a necessity because of their inevitable failing health status as elder individuals.

Many of our current and targeted elder clients live alone and invariably suffer from social isolation.  Some elders live with family members who are unable to give the time and attention to assist their elder relatives with basic time-absorbing social services/medical administrative matters critical to the elders care and livelihood.  Most of the elders’ relatives are agricultural laborers working 10 to 12 hours /day who themselves are not English proficient.   Because of limited income and limited availability/access to food stamp, center-based nutritious meals is one way to afford low-income elders one healthy meal daily.  Socialization and recreation activities are important means for seniors to maintain a healthy emotional and mental lifestyle.  In the context of low income elders facing failing health, inadequate nutrition or income to support their basic needs, Socialization and Recreation are considered luxuries.

Services

Transportation Services

Elderly residents receive free transportation to important appointments (i.e. doctor’s visits, social security administration, immigration, etc.).  In addition to this, they receive daily transportation to and from Galata’s Senior Center and weekly shopping trips (i.e. WalMart, local grocery/drug stores, etc.).

Galata has a fleet of 3 vehicles, and has recently been approved by the Florida Department of Transportation to purchase another 15 passenger bus with a wheelchair lift.  Finally, we received bus passes and tokens from Miami-Dade Transit to provide to low-income individuals through our Transportation Disadvantaged Program.

Health Services

Galata helps clients apply for Government Subsidized insurances such as Medicaid, Medicare, and/or Florida KidCare. Clients also receive preventative care education, and receive referrals to Federal Qualified Health Clinics.  At these clinics, clients receive healthcare based on a Sliding Fee Scale.