Team Member Ambrocio Gomez Celebrates 10 Years, Delivers on Bridging’s Mission

Meet Ambrocio Gomez, an incredibly devoted and kind-hearted Bridging staff member who is celebrating his 10-year anniversary at Bridging!

“I’ve been at Bridging for 10 years, and it doesn’t feel that way because I like what I do, and I really like the people. What we do here is amazing. We change people’s lives. I’m not here for the work. I’m here for the mission. I like being outside, in the community, meeting different people.”

A Warehouse and Delivery Team member in Bloomington, Ambrocio vividly remembers his first week at Bridging like it was yesterday:

“After my first week, I realized this was the real deal. Moving furniture is really hard work!  A few days into moving furniture, I remember my legs were shaking — like this (he demonstrates). We had many third floor deliveries with no elevators.  I thought, ‘Am I going to make it?’ Luckily, the next week was easier!”

Ambrocio enjoys his role because every day is different. He approaches each new person and situation with his warm smile, a desire to help, and flexibility to meet unexpected changes that arise.

“Just this morning on our deliveries, someone was coming home from the hospital, so we waited an extra 30 minutes until she arrived. At our second delivery, there were emergency vehicles. We moved the truck, found a back door, and moved the furniture in.

“Sometimes we’ll have older people or someone with a disability who might not be able to move things around. They might ask us to put furniture in a certain place in their apartment. It feels good to be able to help and do that.”

“The tough part – for all of us on the delivery team — is the winter. It’s slippery, it’s cold, and we deliver through every kind of weather.”

Reflecting on his years at Bridging, Ambrocio describes the emotion involved in his work, which is more than someone might realize.

“On the delivery team, we see the real stuff that people are going through. The families we see every day, many of them have been homeless, come from other countries, they’re Veterans, or they had a house fire. People sleeping on the floor. … It can be really sad.  Sometimes it’s not easy, but it’s worth it. It’s what we do. And the furniture [from Bridging] can help them start over.’”

Some of Ambrocio’s greatest rewards at Bridging relate to the joy he sees in the faces of people who receive furnishings through Bridging and the people he gets to know in the process.

“I’m bilingual, and sometimes Latino families will come to the Bridging door to pick up their furniture. They will say they are here to pick up their furniture and tell me their names. They may be unsure of what to do. I’ll start speaking in Spanish, and they’ll say “¡Oh, hablas español, soy tan afortunada! (Oh, you speak Spanish, I’m so lucky)! They’ll smile, and I see relief on their faces.”

“Many times, people will break down into tears because they are feeling so happy to finally have furniture. They are feeling happy or many emotions all at once.”

“I like to see the kids, talk to them, and see them get so excited when the furniture comes in. I’m a family guy. I have two kids of my own,” he says. Some of the kids will ask, “Can we help you? They’ll pick up a box. They like to work hard and be a part of it. I love to see that.”

Whether delivering home furnishings in the community or working in the Bloomington warehouse, Ambrocio has felt a sense of support and camaraderie that have made Bridging feel like his second home.

“We are like family. It’s the whole team, the staff in the warehouse, the staff in the office, the fundraising team, the volunteers. I feel comfortable. We all talk to each other about what’s going on. We respect each other. I feel appreciated.”

Bridging’s vital work in the community has stayed the same over the years, according to Ambrocio:

“I always remember what Founder Fran said, ‘When good people get together to do good things, then good things happen®'” says Ambrocio. “This means a lot to me.”