Daphne Gentil, a registered nurse, checks woman's blood sugar at Maranatha Baptist Church October 22, 2022. (Haitian Times/Ashley Miznazi)

IMMOKALEE, Fla.— The rural town of Immokalee is easy to miss when driving through Alligator Alley. Along this two-lane stretch of roadway in Florida’s southwest, the tall marsh grass and locals casting fishing lines into the swampy waterways are easier to spot.

But the eye deceives. Located just under an hour from Fort Myers, with low oaks, roosters crowing, mom-and-pops, Dollar General stores and small churches, Immokalee is home to 25,000 people. Most of the dwellers are immigrants from South America and Haiti. 

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Ashley Miznazi is a Report for America corps member covering the Haitian community in the South Florida/Miami area for The Haitian Times. Her work will heavily feature photography, video and other multimedia storytelling. Previously, Ashley was a multimedia fellow at The Texas Tribune, where she reported on DACA, Afghan resettlement and the foster care system.