Since moving to Rancho Sahuarita™ in November of 2005, Chrissi Gomez has wasted no time getting involved in the community. Originally from Norwalk, a city in southern California (not far from Disneyland), she and her husband P.J. had been in search of a smaller town that would serve as a nice place to raise their son Matthew. Having a passion and strong desire to make a difference, Chrissi quickly found a variety of ways to do just that in Sahuarita.
In additional to leading the effort for the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Sahuarita program, which helps to collect food for the Sahuarita Food Bank and Community Resource Center (SFB-CRC), Chrissi also teaches CCD classes at San Martin de Porres Parish, volunteers with Sahuarita Green Valley Family Support Network (which is a supportive group and resource for families of children with special needs), and is a Founding Member of the Rotary Club of Sahuarita. She is also starting school to get back into the medical field, with the goal to get into Medical Administration. An avid animal lover to boot, Chrissi works to help find lost pets in the area; she shares that in addition to being a mother and grandmother, she is “pet mom to 2 cats, 2 dogs, 1 snake and lots of fish” herself.
When asked about some of her fondest memories in the community, she shared that it was an especially proud moment when she had the opportunity to see her son grow to be a teacher at Sahuarita Middle School, and then got to see him substitute teach at his daughter Iris’ school, Anza Trail. “His first-time subbing was the 16th anniversary of Anza Trail’s opening, where he was one of the first students. It was truly full circle.”
Chrissi shares that of all the activities, she has especially enjoyed offerings like 4th of July events at Sahuarita Lake, swimming in the pools, attending concerts and movie nights, and walking along the community’s trails.”
She reflected on her early days in the community: “When I first drove into Rancho Sahuarita, I loved how beautiful it was, and remember thinking that it was exactly like the website. I quickly found a church and a Boy Scout troop where my son became an Eagle Scout, and loved that it was a family-oriented community. We felt welcomed with open arms from the very beginning.”