May 2025 Employees of the Month: Trio of deputies help a homeless family find their way home
In April, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Deputy Scarlett Chavarría discovered that an elderly woman and her two young grandchildren had been living inside Miami International Airport’s Miami Intermodal Center for three days because they didn’t have enough money to buy bus tickets for their return trip home.
Once Deputy Chavarría found an affordable hotel nearby, she and fellow deputies Yimy Iglesias and Alexander Mangels pooled their own money together to buy food for the family and pay for a one-night stay in the hotel. They personally took the family to the hotel to ensure they were safe and comfortable. They also helped the family contact the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust for financial assistance to buy bus tickets and return home.
Because of their compassion and generosity in helping a family in need, deputies Chavarría, Iglesias, and Mangels were named the I AM MIA Employees of the Month for May 2025.
Miami International Airport, America’s busiest airport for international freight and the second busiest for international passengers, is receiving an unprecedented investment of $14 billion in capital improvements and maintenance upgrades. MIA offers more flights to Latin America and the Caribbean than any other U.S. airport and is also the leading economic engine for Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida, generating business revenue of $212 billion and approximately 60 percent of all international visitors to Florida annually.
To request materials in accessible format, Sign Language Interpreters, CART services and/or any accommodation to participate in any Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD) public meetings and events please email the ADA Office at ADAcoordinator@miami-airport.com or call the office in 305-869-1859 five days in advance to initiate your request. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may also call 711 (Florida Relay Service).