Addressing homelessness personal for Capt. Gomez

TEXARKANA, Texas — The mission of The Salvation Army is personal for Capt. Juan Gomez.

“I was homeless at 15,” Gomez said recently to the Gazette. “I like to say that I’ve gone from one side of the feeding line to the other.”

Gomez and wife Clara took the reins of the local unit in 2021.

One thing they encourage is for donors and others

“to put their eyes on the services that are being provided.”

Seeing up close how the agency works to address homelessness and other issues can be impactful, Gomez said, speaking from experience.

A teenage Gomez and his household moved in with his maternal grandmother in Mcallen, Texas, when they found themselves without permanent housing.

“It was a difficult time … a lot of sacrifices,” said Gomez, the eldest among his siblings.

His grandmother volunteered five days a week at The Salvation Army, where she would cook for up to 150 people. Gomez, his siblings and other younger relatives would assist their grandmother by serving food and cleaning tables.

After the meal, the grandmother would say something to the effect of, “I’ve already cooked for 150 people today. I’m not gonna go home and cook again,” Gomez said. So the family would sit and eat the very meal they just served.

Gomez said as he got older and reflected on the experience, he realized his grandmother had them eat at The Salvation Army because there was a lack of food at home.

She also was teaching them a lesson about service, he said. “She instilled in me that discipline of giving back … and understanding that just because you don’t have doesn’t mean you

can’t do anything,” Gomez said.

During the time he and his family lived with their grandmother, Gomez said they were shielded from some of the harsh realities of their situation.

“There we were for over a year and a half — homeless or not enough food to eat at home, but grandma never let us know.”