Growing older is definitely a fearful thought for some individuals. When asked what scares people most about getting older, some of the common answers include feeling helpless or not being able to do things for oneself. But what if there was an organization that made growing older not as stressful and gave you peace of mind when it came to running errands and caring for yourself or your home? Coral Gables@HOME is just that type of organization that in many ways is the answer to many senior citizens' prayers. Since February 2009, Coral Gables@ HOME has been providing senior citizens with an array of services including licensed and background-checked vendors for household services, volunteer drivers for running errands, free prescription delivery, and even a daily check-in call if one desires.

This past Saturday, January 29^th, Coral Gables@HOME held its Second Annual “Dishing It Up!” Tour of Kitchens fundraiser, which proved to be a great success. The tour consisted of 5 Coral Gables’ homes as well as the Snaidero Kitchen Showroom at the Village of Merrick Park. One of the beautiful Coral Gables’ kitchens on the tour was in the home of John and Julia Carr. The couple has lived abroad in Mexico and Amsterdam, as can be seen by the eclectic sense of style in their home. Their kitchen was astonishingly adorned with bright yellow Mexican tile countertops, mid-century glass lights, and an Italian chandelier. It was the Carr’s first year on the tour and when asked to participate in the fundraiser, John stated that they were “very proud of their home and to offer (their) help for charity.” 

At each stop of the self-guided tour, one of the seven participating restaurants offered a delicacy from their menus, including Morton’s filet mignon sandwich, Angelique Euro Café’s wild mushroom ravioli, and Talavera’s port chilorio enchiladas. Every amuse-bouche presented was delectable! The tour concluded with a Chef’s Luncheon at the Country Club Prado provided by Rincon Argentino Steakhouse & Italian Cuisine. This event was the first community event held at the Prado in the last 75 years!

“It turned out to be a gorgeous day and event,” stated Marli Lutz, the Executive Director of Coral Gables@HOME. “We were very fortunate to be allowed to use the Country Club Prado for our event since it is very important to us to have the community’s support to help people stay in their Coral Gables homes.” After last year’s overwhelmingly positive feedback for their first Tour of Kitchens, they decided to do it once again this year which has helped get the word out for this one of only 52 programs in the nation. 

Coral Gables@HOME is always looking for support and volunteers. For more information about this community program, please visit www.coralgablesathome.org.