MIAMI — An unlikely friendship between a woman struggling with homelessness and two Miami-Dade Police Department employees is proving how the little things can make a big difference.
Miami-Dade Police dispatcher Nicole Sears loves to offer a helping hand . So, when neighborhood resource officer Leonard Cantave asked for a favor she jumped at the chance.
“Officer Contave reached out to me and asked if I would help him create some sort of way to receive funds for her,” she said.
It all started just days earlier, the day after Christmas.
“I had a problem with my car and my battery,” Maria Isabel Garcia said.
“You know it’s the holidays. She’s alone. No gas for her car. That was pretty sad, and I’m blessed enough to help her out,” said Cantave.
When he stopped to help, Cantave realized Garcia needed much more than just a jump. She needed a fresh start.
“She pretty much was homeless. So, I took her to the gas station, filled up her tank for her, and went to the mechanic shop and spoke to the owner and they gave her a brand-new battery for her car,” Cantave said.