July 5, 2004

Seeing Him Through
Many Band Together to Help Restore Formerly Homeless Man's Sight, Hope

Septuagenarian Jose Gomez smiles warmly when he meets someone, unselfconscious that he has no teeth. He talks candidly about a life that might have stymied a weaker gent, about losing both his eyesight and his apartment and ending up homeless.

Sitting in the comfy public lounge of his temporary home at St. Paul's Villa retirement facility, the well-groomed, white-haired 72- year-old tells about living in a barn next to a horse he tended before his dimming vision went completely black. His life philosophy, he says, is simple:

"I do the best I can to survive. If you can't do anything about it, don't worry about it."

Then, he blesses you.

It's easy to understand why a group of local nonprofits and businesses, from Senior Community Centers and St. Paul's Senior Homes & Services to the San Diego Eye Institute, have banded together to bless this once-hardworking gardener.

Along the way, everyone from a former employer to an eye surgeon who'd never met Gomez offered to help him in a marathon project that would provide short-term shelter, begin to restore his eyesight, and eventually land him a permanent home and a job once again tending the flowers he has missed.

Gomez has captured many hearts, according to Irene Fernandez, his case worker at Senior Community Centers. "He really is a winner," she said. "He waited until the last minute to ask for help."

His story

Originally from Mexico, Gomez came to this country as a teenager. He became a legal resident 49 years ago, he says, and began eking out a living in nurseries, orchards and residential gardens.

As downtown development jacked up rents, the childless widower moved frequently in search of more affordable housing. Along the way, he lost his Green Card and the rest of his legal documents.

So when his eyesight got cloudier and work became increasingly difficult -- "I couldn't tell the difference between a plant and a weed" -- he couldn't collect Social Security or other government aid. He lost his tiny apartment to ballpark redevelopment, quickly depleted his life savings -- all of $1,000 -- and ended up on the streets.

Unfortunately, Gomez had joined hundreds of other older people with no place to live in San Diego. Five years ago, Paul Downey, president and CEO of the Senior Community Centers, warned that the homeless-elders situation had reached a crisis. The problem has continued to deteriorate: He estimates there are 1,500 homeless older people downtown.

The issue, he says, is lack of affordable housing. He refers to many of these older people as "economically homeless." Though they long were productive members of society, they worked in low-paying jobs that didn't offer retirement benefits.

"It doesn't take much of a hiccup for seniors making $750 a month and paying rent of $600 not to have rent money on the first of the month," Downey said.

A former employer rescued Gomez from the streets and offered him a place in his barn in the South Bay. While he still could, Gomez pitched in around the property.

Then, in February, the County's Aging & Independence Services stepped in. It referred Gomez to the Senior Community Centers, which administers the Short-Term Transitional Housing Program for Displaced Seniors.

The Transitional Housing Program offers temporary shelter to homeless people 60-plus or those who are at risk of becoming homeless. The city of San Diego leases 35 rooms at the Sara Frances Hometel, then pays for up to five rooms at St. Paul's as needed for people too frail for independent living.

The county, Traveler's Aid Society, REACH and City Police Homeless Outreach Team also participate in the program, which from January through May this year housed 73 older people (including Gomez) for a total of 5,070 days.

As part of the program, Gomez was assigned to social worker Fernandez. And because he couldn't live independently, he was qualified to bunk at St. Paul's Villa, the assisted-living section of the retirement community on the edge of Balboa Park.

St. Paul's joined the program a year ago. "It's the right thing to do, and that's what St. Paul's is all about," says CEO Cheryl Wilson.

The Journey

Gomez proudly shows off his room at the Villa. On his dresser is a photograph of a horse named "Stretcher." Yes, he says. That's the horse with whom he shared the barn.

During the last five months, Fernandez has been helping the former gardener do what he needs to do to reclaim his independence.

Among the first tasks was replacing his government papers to ensure that he could collect Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Medicare and Medi-Cal benefits.

While the social worker was busy with that, Wilson helped find a doctor who could restore Gomez's eyesight.

The problem turned out to be extremely thick cataracts, and Dr. Suzanne Handler donated her surgical skills. The young mother of three, with a growing practice in Hillcrest, says, "This was a rare opportunity to help this very special person."

Others were quick to pitch in. There were Dr. Christopher Glazener, an anesthesiologist; Dr. Mark Smith of the San Diego Retina Association; Sunny Wittman, a recovery-room nurse; the San Diego Eye Institute; Alcon Pharmaceuticals; the San Diego Out- Patient Surgical Center and more.

At the last minute, the only out-of-pocket expense was $285 for incidentals for each of the two operations. Wilson phoned a few board members and asked: "Would you like to buy an eye for an elderly gentleman?"

Rick Lorah and John McColl reached into their pockets.

With everything in place, Ellen Johnson, admissions coordinator at St. Paul's, offered to chauffeur Gomez to all his medical appointments.

The doctor started with the right eye and plans to do the left this month.

Gomez seems awed by the kindness that landed him at the Villa, which he's just beginning to be able to see.

He takes his comb from his pocket and holds it in front of his face. "White," he says, joyfully. "Before, everything was black and brown."

Dr. Handler says it's hard to predict just how much of Gomez's sight eventually will return.

He says, "I can see a tree now, and someday I will see flowers again."

Downey hopes to get Gomez into a studio apartment at the Senior Community Centers' 200-unit, low-income Potiker Family Senior Residence (formerly Market Square Manor). Though there's a waiting list, 25 units are set aside for special-needs seniors. If there's an opening, Gomez could live in the building on Market Street and get his breakfast and lunch at the nearby Senior Community Centers.

He'll miss the food at St. Paul's, he says, adding that even without teeth he's been able to chow down.

Next on the agenda is finding a dentist. Fernandez plans to apply for a Change a Life grant for upper and lower dentures. If that doesn't come through, Wilson is poised to pounce on a dentist or two in her neighborhood.

In the meantime, Gomez boasts, "I'm living the life of Riley."

Marsha Kay Seff; marsha.seff@uniontrib.com