Jacque Gonzalez may shy away from the applause, but her love for family, friends and community keeps pulling her near the spotlight. She insists she doesn’t know what all the fuss is about: “I’d rather be in the background. I just want to help out and make sure everything gets done.” With that humble outlook, it’s no wonder Jacque was surprised to learn the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemen’s Fund wanted to honor her commitment as Volunteer of the Year. Yet according to Jacque, volunteering is just “something you do.”
When her kids were younger, she would help out at various fundraisers at her children’s pre-school and elementary school and was hired as Administrative Assistant. She oversaw fundraising activities for 25-years at St. Didacus in Sylmar. While joyfully working to help mold young minds, Jacque — the wife of a 33-year-veteran firefighter — found yet another outlet for her passion for volunteering: her husband’s fire station. “I used to volunteer for Rey’s fire station’s booth at the Hope for Firefighters event,” shares Jacque. “Before long, I was volunteering directly for the charity.”
The LAFD is a big part of Jacque’s life in and outside of the station, so giving back to the fire family seemed like only a matter of time. “My son has been a firefighter at No. 60 in North Hollywood for 14 years. And my son-in-law is a firefighter in Phoenix,” details the busy retiree. With so many friends and relatives devoting their lives to the service, volunteering with the Widows & Orphans was an easy decision to make.
“I was just really amazed at how many people work on the events and they’re always go, go, go! I don’t think we realize how much work goes into the fundraisers,” Jacque says brimming with respect and enthusiasm. “It’s a small staff and it’s amazing how much they do.” Of course, many at the charity attest that its volunteers like Jacque who make it all possible. Since 2011, Jacque has helped with everything from stuffing envelopes to manning fundraising booths to making baskets for the LAFD Invitational golf tournament — often singlehandedly.
With so much time dedicated to Widows & Orphans, how does this proud grandmother of five spend her time when she’s not at a charity event? “Rey and I are both retired and we like to travel in our RV. We did a 12-week trip across the U.S. in 2011,” shares Jacque. However, the one thing she enjoys more than traveling is spending time with her grandchildren.
By Candace Nicholson