GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Juliana Gonzalez never doubted her decision to open her doors to the Mexican Consulate last weekend to help a community that too often is underserved.

The Consulate picked Gonzalez’s La Casita Mexican Restaurant on July 31 and Aug. 1 to offer COVID-19 vaccinations and to renew Mexican passports, documents, voting registrations and identification cards.

What she didn’t expect was an overwhelming response – and a brief blowback of misinformation.

People lined along the sidewalk on Orange Avenue before 7 a.m. on both mornings. They carried folders that contained all of the important information of their lives. One by one, they passed through the front doors and eventually exited through the back. In between, they made significant steps to updating – and improving – their lives.

And with no questions asked.

“If you need help, I want to help,” Gonzalez said through an interpreter. “It doesn’t matter if you’re Mexican or an American. I always want to help. When the Consulate asked, we said yes. Of course, we want to help.”

About 150 used the services provided by the Consulate and the Clay County Health Department.

“It was a big event,” said La Casita manager Antonia Marquez. “A lot of people got their shots. I got mine. Mexicans can be very stubborn people. We don’t like shots. I know I don’t, but Juliana held my hand and I got my shot. After that, some of the other workers here got theirs, too. I feel so much better now. It was important.”

A couple of social media posts, however, mistakenly described the two-day event as a governmental dump of illegal immigrants. It wasn’t. Other than the COVID-19 vaccinations, which are available for free to everyone in the United States, all of the services provided were for – and from – the Mexican government.

“People were only here updating their paperwork from Mexico, not America,” Gonzalez said.

The health department got involved because the state asked for assistance, according to Clay County Director Heather Huffman.

“It was a state-requested mission,” she said. “We will do this no matter what county they’re in. If there are people gathering who would like a vaccination, they can put in a state mission at the local level if we can handle that. We went out and did that in partnership with them. We were invited to come and offer vaccinations to the community at La Casita.”

Patients were required to show identification before receiving the vaccine, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said.

The Green Cove Springs Police Department and Clay County Sheriff’s Office were notified in advance of the program. They not only supported the drive, both said there were no “calls for service.”

“LaCasita has been a long friend of this community,” Cook said.

The restaurant said people came from Green Cove Springs, and as far as Tampa, Orlando, Texas and Jacksonville. Gonzalez said the because the Consulate picked a popular Mexican restaurant, many felt less threatened and more inclined to take advantage of much-needed social services.

“We were here because they needed help,” she said. “We can’t say no to our neighbors – all of our neighbors.”