WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Maria Gomez, two decades ago, watched scores of refugees pour into the District, fleeing a bloody civil war in El Salvador. A nurse with the city’s Department of Health, Gomez knew D.C. wasn’t equipped to handle the influx, many of whom were women seeking to earn money to send to their families back home.

“Around that time, the city was suffering from a very severe infant mortality rate,” she said. “There also was a very high rate of teen pregnancy. And it was the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. You took the three major public health problems, and you added immigrant women without health insurance, without being able to communicate, and with very, very severe post-traumatic stress — that was just a lot for the city to take on.”

It was a tipping point for Gomez, who in 1988 founded Mary’s Center — then just a temporary measure — to meet the emerging need for services, especially prenatal care. Gomez herself emigrated from Colombia at age 13 with her mother.

Gomez, 51, is the winner of The Examiner’s Amazing Change contest for her work at Mary’s Center. As part of the contest, The Examiner invited readers to nominate individuals who had made an “amazing change” in their community.

Gomez said the center on Ontario Road has since expanded to serve some 10,000 clients and offers family health, social services, adult literacy and other advocacy programs. They maintain a staff of about 150, almost all of them paid, with about 10 physicians and nurses.

Their client base has grown to include immigrants from the Middle East and Africa.

“We’re seeing people from all over the world,” she said. “Where there is an unstable country in the world, we have people coming to our center.”

wflook@dcexaminer.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

10:56 AM MST on Wed., May. 14, 2008 re: "Group seeks summer activities for low-income youth"

Examiner Reader said:
At least this time Mr. Corrigan wrote a variation on his theme of the past 10 weeks, instead of just the same story with different words.

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11:57 AM MST on Tue., Apr. 29, 2008 re: "Ministry stresses local entrepreneurship"

Examiner Reader said:
It seems as though the Examiner just lets Mr. Corrigan recycle the same story every week or so, and has let him do it for about the last 9 weeks. As much as I support recycling, I think it might be time for a new topic.

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4:59 PM MST on Thu., Dec. 6, 2007 re: "Washington-area nonprofits coordinate different crisis-management strategies"

Examiner Reader said:
It's only a matter of time. Plan thoroughly, consider all options, and where roadblocks are placed before you, find alternatives. Remember that during the Katrina evac, all the buses where in the up-scale part of town that the walkers from poor sections couldn't get to in time. Please be careful. People need you, but there are those who don't want you to succeed.

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8:32 AM MST on Thu., Nov. 22, 2007 re: "Study: Nonprofit employment growing faster than private sector"

Examiner Reader said:
With all the shady, non-taxed, I mean, so-called, non-profits in Maryland, working for a non-profit is working in the private sector.

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11:40 AM MST on Tue., Aug. 14, 2007 re: "Marian House helps at-risk women cultivate independence"

Huh? said:
"[T]his $1.6 million, 22-employee nonprofit has a track record to support its claim." Okay, fair enough. So, what's the track record? Also, if the org has helped about 1,000 women since 1994, that's fewer than 90 women per year and there are 22 employees! It had better be successful at that ratio. Another point: Not-for-profit is merely a tax status. It does not mean that administrators cannot earn a handsome salary. I am not suggesting that is the case here but there's a reason these places don't share that info without being asked.

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8:50 AM MST on Tue., Jul. 3, 2007 re: "Martha�s Place promotes hope for women overcoming addictions"

Examiner Reader said:
As a woman in recovery who needed balance in my life recovery houses such as M artha"s Place deserve to recieve all the available resources to help restore self-esteem, and save lives. How can we mimnimize lives by withholding funds. I am an alumni who's life has been restored because of Martha's Place! I thank God for Elder & Mrs.Harris for leaping out into an area many others have not and willnot accept the challenage to save lives!

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12:18 PM MST on Tue., Jun. 19, 2007 re: "Health Care for the Homeless to expand services"

Examiner Reader said:
Hi! Thank you so much for printing this article. It is a wonderful summary of what this incredible organization does. My husband works for Jeff Singer. Jeff is an incredibly humble, gracious and loving person. He truly cares about each person who comes through his Center. He deeply appreciates the job that everyone does on a daily basis. One can only truly appreciate the magnificent compassion and respect this organization offers to our homeless friends by visiting the center and helping face-to-face, hand-to-hand and heart-to-heart as this family reaches out to those in need. Thanks again for helping to make our neighbors aware of the needs of our brothers and sisters and the assistance provided by these loving angels of mercy!

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12:20 PM MST on Wed., May. 23, 2007 re: "D.C. charity helps kids pump clean water in Africa"

Matthew C. Andrea said:
Please post the contact information for PlayPumps International. This concept is brilliant, fun and uplifting. Definitely something that I would like to support.

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7:21 AM MST on Wed., May. 2, 2007 re: "Advisory board trims list of nonprofit grant applications"

Examiner Reader said:
When is Montgomery County going to realize that Casa of MD is taking them/us to the cleaners?

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