Each year, Partners’ Senior Management Council nominates female staff members to be spotlighted in March for Women’s History Month. These dynamic women were nominated not only due to their work within the agency, but also their contributions to the community.
One of our spotlighted individuals for Women’s History Month is Patricia Gomez, Partners’ ECMSubstance Use Disorder (SUD) Navigator.
Patricia joined Partners’ in 2019 as a care coordinator. She now plays an integral role in the agency as a SUD navigator that provides support for participants living with substance use disorder, and helps them access appropriate resources like treatment facilities and/or support groups. She is currently enrolled in the Addiction Studies Program at East Los Angeles Community College and is working towards being certified as a Prevention Specialist.
Patricia’s compassion for at-risk communities stems from her own experiences as a recovering addict. She reflects, “I try to provide participants with support and help in the most considerate, respectful, and nonjudgmental way. I identify wholeheartedly with our participants, and I know how difficult it is to take that first step towards recovery. I hope they see me as someone they can trust.”
Not only does Patricia strive to make a difference through the work she does at Partners, but also through volunteer efforts within the community. She is a regular volunteer for the Ronald McDonald House at Children’s Hospital of LA?. She helps to set up, clean up and sign-up participants for the Ronald McDonald Annual Walk for Kids fundraiser, she collects and distributes hundreds of toys for low-income and sick children at Holiday Toy Drives, and her family donates candy and decorations to their Trunk or Treat event that brings in over 100 families each year.
She is most proud of her volunteer work with Manos que Sobreviven (Hands that Survive), a non-profit organization that provides programs and services to low- income undocumented families in Los Angeles. She worked with the organization to acquire food boxes that fed 40 Partners’ participants living with food insecurities. They also provided her with 20 additional boxes that she delivered to those in need living in her neighborhood, which included a young mother with five children living in an abandoned garage, three elderly neighbors living alone, and residents of a nearby small homeless encampment.
Patricia’s kind heart shows through the rewarding work she has done and continues to do for at-risk communities. She believes that acts of kindness, big or small, are impactful, which is why she will continue to work with local nonprofits and community-based organizations to help those that cannot help themselves.
