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Hop in and Help

April 19, 2025

The Easter Bunny hopped into WMODA last month with lots of baskets for families facing financial hardship in our community. Luis and Nini Montanez spent weeks creating 55 Easter baskets brimful of fluffy toys and other spring treats. The museum team helped raise the funds for the baskets, which The Caring Place distributed through their Broward Outreach Center in Hollywood.

Every Easter, hundreds of volunteers come together to serve the homeless and hungry of South Florida across the Caring Place campuses in Miami and Broward County. This year, the goal of their Share-a-Thon campaign was to raise money to serve 20,000 meals at their Giving Thanks at Easter annual event. The Easter baskets created by donors and supporters bring joy to 1,000 families in their centers.  Each year, Lian Navarro, the Assistant Director of Community Development at The Caring Place, works tirelessly with her team to create a magical Easter experience for children in need.

The Easter bunny has become a prominent symbol of Christianity’s most important holiday, but his story does not appear in the Bible. Rabbits and hares are associated with the season because they are prolific procreators and an ancient symbol of fertility and new life.  Our fluffy Easter mascot was introduced to America by German immigrants in the 1700s, who told tales of an egg-laying hare that rewarded good children. Over the centuries, building nests for colored eggs has been replaced with decorating candy-filled baskets.

Easter eggs are also linked to pagan festivals celebrating spring and rebirth. However, in Christian tradition, they represent the resurrection of Jesus.  In Medieval times, eggs were a forbidden food during Lent and were decorated and eaten to mark the end of fasting. Easter egg hunts and egg rolling are now popular Easter activities, and molded chocolate Easter eggs have become universal treats since the late 19th century.

Victorian Easter greeting cards depict the whimsical charm of spring, while the Roaring Twenties introduced beguiling bunny girls in cute costumes. Ceramic artists have also had fun portraying rabbits and hares, as can be seen at WMODA. Check them out during your next visit!

 

If you missed the opportunity to help The Caring Place at Easter, you can join them to celebrate Mother’s Day on May 11 and show love and support for the brave women in their centers who have overcome homelessness and abuse. If you would like to help sponsor the essential work of The Caring Place, call Luis at WMODA 954-376-6690 or Lian at The Caring Place 786-210-0554. You can also donate directly to caringplace.org.

Miami Rescue Mission | Broward Outreach Centers, Inc. (MRM) is a Florida 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing spiritual, physical and essential services to homeless and impoverished individuals. Their mission is rooted in compassion, aiming to help individuals transition from isolation to inclusion and become productive members of our communities.

 

Read more about The Caring Place and WMODA

Easter Baskets | Wiener Museum

Heart for the Homeless | Wiener Museum

The Caring Place | Wiener Museum

Holidays Hope Mobile | Wiener Museum

Turkeys Hams Pies Oh My/| Wiener Museum

Read more about Rabbits and Hares at WMODA

Rabbiting On | Wiener Museum

Mad as a March Hare | Wiener Museum