Mz. Goose was born out of the ongoing efforts of Helen Gage to help the less fortunate members of her local Perrine community. After the devastation caused by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Ms. Gage helped to ease the trauma experienced by many children in her area by dressing up as the fictional character Mother Goose and reading to them. Mz. Goose, Inc. was incorporated in 1994 and in 1995, Mz. Goose spearheaded efforts to save the 1937 shotgun home of Jonathan Bethel, one of Perrine’s earliest Bahamian immigrants. The last of its kind, the historic Bethel House stands as a vestige of Perrine’s Bahamian-American history. By 1997, the organization had grown both in the scope of its services and its mission. That year, it received a three-year grant from the Department of Juvenile Justice to establish an after-school program that catered to African-American girls in the Perrine community between the ages of 10 and 17. The program used arts and crafts and education as a means of developing communication skills, self-esteem, positive character, and overall emotional well-being for underprivileged girls and young women.
As part of its museum function, Mz. Goose collects, preserves, and displays photographs, documents, objects, and oral histories related to the history of Perrine’s black community and its Bahamian heritage. Several of these artifacts were included as part of the History Miami’s Black Crossroads: The African Diaspora in Miami exhibit in 2010. In addition to preserving and providing free educational tours of the Bethel House, Mz. Goose maintains an impressive garden on the property of plants indigenous to the Bahamas and South Florida. Mz. Goose uses the garden to teach visitors about the age-old tradition of Bahamian bush medicine and raise environmental consciousness.
On Earth Day, Mz. Goose provides a day of environmental education and fun. The Earth Day event is held at the Bethel House and promotes environmental awareness through the lens of traditional Bahamian and South Floridian horticulture. In addition, Mz. Goose hosts an annual winter craft-making event, which brings together children from the local neighborhoods. Mz. Goose also sponsors a traveling exhibit highlighting the history and contributions of Perrine’s community pioneers. Additional exhibits featuring a variety of other historical and cultural topics are also presented as well.