No gift card; no rent paid ‘at the event in Miami

MIAMI – Crayons, candy, a kid’s toothbrush and a coloring book weren’t what Latarcia Brown had in mind as she queued for hours at Diddy’s event on Tuesday.

The grandmother, who lives with her parents in Miami’s Overtown, said she was at the giveaway event early because she heard they were going to distribute aid.

The gift bag, she said, was a disappointment.

“No gift card; no rent paid… The lady told me if you have a gift bag you should go, ”Brown said.

Brown was unable to reach Sean “Diddy” Combs when he arrived at the House of Wings, a counter-service restaurant located at 1039 NW 3rd Ave., in Overtown. There was chaos, she said.

Social detachment disappeared from the window when the New York City-born rapper began handing out $ 50 bills to the public. He was not wearing a face mask. He was wearing a face shield and gloves.

Diddy’s visit to the historic district made national headlines after an announcement that the California-based Sean Combs Foundation will cover the cost of a month’s rent for 175 Miami families.

Michael Gardner, of the Headliner Market Group, and Miami-Dade Commissioner Keon Hardemon both praised Diddy’s generosity. The majority of the people who attended were very grateful.

His foundation gave a grant to the Teens Exercising Extraordinary Success, a nonprofit that has a program to help families during the pandemic.

Brown, who said she and her family urgently need help during the pandemic, received a response to her complaint from the House of Wings where she received a gift certificate on Wednesday.