A MISSION TO SERVE: Nosotros La Gente celebrates 25th anniversary

The holidays are a time for giving and spreading joy. For one local organization, the gift of giving has been its mission for 25 years. Nonprofit organization Nosotros La Gente is dedicated to improving the lives of families in and around San Marcos.

Founded in 1996 by Ralph Gonzales, the organization has a mission of assisting families and their needs and promoting equality and justice for all citizens. While many in the community know the organization for its Viva Los Zapatos Shoe Drive, Nosotros La Gente does much more to help others.  

“We also help families in time of need with utilities, with medical assistance, with transportation. You know, to and from, you know, doctor's appointments, just different things that they need,” said Celia Barragan, Co-Vice President of Nosotros La Gente and niece of Ralph Gonzales. 

The Viva Zapatos Shoe Drive started as a small shoe drive that was inspired by Gonzales’ own struggles growing up. 

“He came up with this whole organization idea because when he was a little boy, he used to wear his shoes until there were holes in the soles of his shoes. Because they couldn't afford a new pair of shoes, they would put cardboard inside the shoe and keep wearing them until pretty much there was no shoe,” Barragan said. “The first thing he wanted to do is like, know that no child would go without shoes that needed a pair of shoes. So they started with that.” 

Nosotros La Gente as an organization and the various donation drives all started in the Gonzales home with family assisting and volunteering. 

“When we first started back, 25 years ago, we started out of his home, like we would do little fundraisers of making a meal and selling it, and the money we'd make we buy as many shoes as we could without money,” Barragan said. “Everybody that started kind of at the beginning was family, you know, brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews, everybody from the family kind of went in and pitched in.” 

While the nonprofit has seen much success over the years, the pandemic posed challenges when it came to its fundraising. Nosotros La Gente has hosted a Turkey Dinner for the community every year in November and for the last two years has had to cancel it. COVID-19 also forced the organization to reconsider how to go about fundraising.

“We had to rethink very quickly how we were going to do this and thanks to the parent liaisons in the school district, they created the list of the children,” Barragan said. “They picked out the shoe for that child, what they knew that child would want and would like, and then they take them back to school and then they sent us pictures when the children got their shoes.” 

While volunteers with Nosotros La Gente weren’t able to personally give children these past two years, they found satisfaction in following through with their goal. 

“Even though we couldn't be there with the kids. Just the pictures told us that they were happy. And we, you know, we carried out our mission,” Barragan said. 

While Nosotros La Gente has been rolling on for quite some time and with the help of the community, it sees a bright future ahead. 

Each year the organization provides over 1,000 shoes to SMCISD students. Photos courtesy of Nosotros La Gente

“The community, like I said, is so aware of what we do, that people have stepped up and given donations, you know, they'll call my uncle or, you know, they'll find him at the store, you know when they come across them and say, ‘Well, how can we help?’ So the community has really stepped up to help us,” Barragan said. 

The organization also received recognition from the Hays County Commissioners Court in October and a proclamation by San Marcos Mayor Jane Hughson was issued to highlight the 25th anniversary. After the adoption of the proclamation during commissioners court, Precinct 1 Commissioner,  and daughter of Ralph Gonzales, Debbie Gonzales-Ingalsbe gave comments. 

“I want to thank him [Gonzales] for his vision when he created this organization and the many, I know there’s board members here and volunteers that have really done a lot. They have a heart of service and I really appreciate everybody and all the service that y’all have provided to the San Marcos community and beyond because really we go beyond, it’s a Hays County organization,” Ingalsbe said. 

Residents and community members looking to donate and volunteer can reach the organization through their Facebook page (Nosotros La Gente) or by contacting Ralph Gonzales at 512-938-2329. 

“I want to thank the community, definitely want them to know that. We appreciate how they support us and we appreciate that they have been here for us through these 25 years and continue to help us,” Barragan said.