San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Volunteer is ‘a light in people’s world’
Coordinator at South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless delivers bags of hope
Azhalia Ramirez delivered bags of hope to those without homes on a recent Sunday morning.
She packed her car trunk with 50 care kits and donated clothes. Family and friends had helped her pack night-reflective bags with water, sunscreen, and soap. There were also baby wipes, deodorant, toothbrushes, mosquito repellant and a first-aid kit.
With husband, Frank Garza, 30, she drove from their Northwest Side home to downtown, where the homeless lined Houston and Leona streets.
Seconds after Ramirez parked her car and popped the trunk open, clusters of people gravitated to her from the curbs and shade of shuttered buildings. She greeted each person as she distributed the blue bags and gave details of how to find relief during extreme heat.
Ramirez handed military veteran Eduardo Moreno a flyer about the Corazon Day Center, downtown at Grace Lutheran Church, where he could get a warm meal, shower and outreach services. Two women who received bags pointed passerby Dwight Miller to Ramirez’s car. He appreciated the Good Samaritans’ time and resources.
“Sometimes, people do more for us than we do for ourselves,” Miller, 56, said. “These people do a great service.”
He left Ramirez with two parting words: “One love.”
Within 15 minutes, she had placed all the bags into outstretched hands.
“It just takes a post, a text or a little event,” Ramirez, 32, said. “It’s like throwing a rock in the water and watching the ripple effect.”
Ramirez is the planning coordinator at South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless (SARAH), designated a continuum of care lead agency for San Antonio and Bexar County with the goal of ending homelessness. She celebrated her first work anniversary in August. Ramirez’s passion for helping those who live on the streets aligns with the nonprofit’s mission of collaborating with and listening to the homeless.
SARAH office manager Virginia Woodward said Ramirez has heard her talking to homeless clients and offered her knowledge of resources available in the city.
Woodward called her coworker “a ball of life who brings joy to the office.” She was one of the volunteers who helped Ramirez put the bags together.
“It really touched my heart because there aren’t a lot of people who do this on a regular basis on their own time,” Woodward, 38, said. “To see the softer, more compassionate side of her really impressed me. She’s that person in every part of her life, not just in the community but to friends, family and coworkers. She’s a light in people’s world.”
Ramirez’s academic journey started at Shriner University. She transferred to Texas A&M at Kingsville and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science.
In 2022, Ramirez graduated from St. Mary’s University with a master’s degree in public administration. She wanted to be a lawyer and worked in legal firms, but it felt like something was missing. In 2018, she turned to nonprofit work at the Family Service Association.
Ramirez answered phones and heard stories of the people before helping clients as a financial counselor.
“Something clicked,” she said. “This is what I was meant to do.”
She values the work of the city, residents and nonprofits to help those in need. Ramirez said she and other concerned residents “want to be the change we want to see.”
Ramirez calls SARAH her home, built by the people for the people. She helps oversee
the Youth Action Board and Lived Expertise Advisory Board.
In January, she participated in SARAH’s 2023 State of Homelessness in San Antonio and Bexar County report that included data and results from the Point-In-Time (PIT) Count. SARAH coordinated planning with the Homeless Management Information System and Haven for Hope.
The report is a one-night snapshot by the nonprofit and hundreds of volunteers of individuals sleeping in a shelter or homeless, living in abandoned buildings, encampments, or outdoors. In this year’s count, 3,155 individuals were identified as homeless. There were 874 people counted as unsheltered, and 2,281 were sheltered.
According to the report, individuals who experienced homelessness in the city and
county rose by 5.3 percent from 2022. The count for the unsheltered dropped by 15.6 percent. The top needs were housing/ shelter, food, and general transportation.
Ramirez knows what it means to lack basic needs. She grew up a happy child in Piedras Negras, Mexico, raised by a stern grandmother, as her parents sought migrant work, picking crops in Florida and around Texas. Her grandmother served everyone else before ladling a small amount of food on her plate. Ramirez holds tight the memory of her abuela serving others before serving herself.
Several years ago, she met three homeless people who left an impression on her. They came into her world one morning in 2016 during her walk downtown on Commerce Street, between Whataburger and her workplace, the Bexar County Courthouse
Ramirez did more than walk with the trio, regulars along the streets — she listened.
“Good morning, Sophia,” she’d say to the woman who always held a full cup of coffee. “Mr. Ted” shared his latest story as he observed the bustle of morning dwellers. And there was José, who often felt downtrodden. During one of their walks, he said he didn’t want to live anymore.
Ramirez’s heart crumbled. “No one deserves that,” she said. “All I had was a simple walk and a simple, ‘Good morning.’ Every little action has a reaction. I treat them like my neighbor, like a long lost friend.”
Her recent service project was “Summer of Compassion: Care Kits for unhoused neighbors.” She posted calls for donations on Facebook, social media and through word of mouth. It was also an important lesson of selflessness to share with her younger brother.
Stocking her car with provisions for the homeless and their pets is her daily routine.
Garza said one stop still lingers with him. Three years ago, the couple finished a shopping trip on Stone Oak Parkway when they saw an older man on the curb, petting his dog. Ramirez had her husband pull the car to the side of the busy thoroughfare. She took a box of granola bars and a bag of dog treats they had just bought to the man.
“There was such gratitude in his eyes,” Garza said. “That was a humbling experience, being able to do that for him. It’s something we’re happy to do.”
He said it’s normal for his wife to pack her car with food, toiletries and dog treats to give to people on the streets while driving across the city.
“To her, it may seem small,” Garza said, “but not everyone takes the time to think of these things.”
Ramirez’s plans include collecting winter coats, reusable water bottles and sleeping bags. She sees a time ahead when she’s involved in the homeless issue at a higher level.
Her favorite quote comes from Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter book and film series.
The words sum up her journey: “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”