The city of Hialeah, Florida, recently honored the late Pastor Mel Santiesteban Sr. by naming a street in his honor. Santiesteban was the founding pastor of Iglesia del Nazareno El Buen Pastor, where he served for 33 years. 

Born in Holguin, Cuba, Santiesteban moved to Hialeah in 1979 and founded El Buen Pastor that same year. Soon after, he began serving other Cubans in the community by providing food, clothing, and spiritual guidance. 

Santiesteban expanded his community outreach to homeless and drug-addicted residents starting in 1996.

"He rented houses near the church and gave these men and women the opportunity to leave the streets, restore their lives, and be reinstated into society," said Obed Santiesteban, Mel's son and current pastor of El Buen Pastor. 

In addition, Mel began a nonprofit substance abuse program called Home of the Nazarene. The program continues to this day, with room for 75 people. 

"Thanks to Pastor Mel and his vision to open the Home of the Nazarene, hundreds of men from Hialeah and Miami-Dade County have been rescued from addiction and are now living productive, drug-free lives," Obed said.

Some of those men attended the June 16 street sign unveiling ceremony.

“Being here today and honoring him and honoring the legacy that he left behind as a person who reached out to the community, it’s beautiful,” Jonathan Croxton said. “It’s beautiful that we can place this sign here to remember a person who took the time to be an inspiration to so many people. If it wasn’t for him, if it wasn’t for his vision with the Home of the Nazarene, I may not be here today.”

Mel started another nonprofit called Hope for the Community. Through this organization, needy families in Hialeah could receive a box of food from the church warehouse on a monthly basis or on a weekly basis at Thursday night church services.

"Pastor Mel always opened his church to anyone in need, whether it was food, shelter, hurricane disaster relief (such as Hurricane Andrew), or any other necessity," Obed said. "He gave his heart and soul into serving the Lord, his congregation, and the city of Hialeah until he recently passed away to be with our Heavenly Father on May 15, 2012. He will be missed, but the work that he began will live on for the glory and honor of the Lord."

General Superintendent Jerry D. Porter called Mel "an outstanding Nazarene pastor" and "a compassionate ministry leader."

"Under his leadership, this congregation has preached God's word and transformed the community with ministries for all ages, an outreach to rescue prostitutes, a very effective drug rehabilitation center, and other ministries to the marginalized," Porter said.

For a video about the unveiling ceremony, click here.