What is your Hispanic Heritage: Puerto Rico
What area of Florida do you live in: Kissimmee / Osceola County
What is your profession: Mayor; City of Kissimmee
Meet Mayor Gonzalez and other Lideres at the Hispanic Heritage Celebration at 3rd Annual FORD Taste Of Latino Festival on Sunday, Oct 17th @ Centro Asturiano! (www.TasteofLatino.com)
Latin Times Magazine: Tell us about what you do for a living and how you got into it Olga Gonzalez: I am the Mayor of the City of Kissimmee, placed by God. I had been working as a Community Advocate for the Communities, helping people with what ever the situations they were going through. Not that the Org. could make the impossible possible, but knowing that God can, solutions were accomplished. We became a Triage, sending them to who could resolve their problem. Never saying no, it cannot be done, researching on how we could solve the problem together.
Latin Times Magazine: In your industry, what would you say separates you from your competition
Olga Gonzalez: What separates me from my Competition would be my belief, I am not Ashamed of the Gospel. I want people to know about the God that I serve. The God that put me on this position. I am not a Politician; I am a community Advocate. I never had vision me in a government seat, never aspired it. It just happened.
Latin Times Magazine: During Covid-19, tell us about your Biggest Challenge/obstacle and how you overcame it/or are overcoming it
Olga Gonzalez: During the beginning of the Covid-19, a couple of months before, I was involved in a 40 day fast, called the Noah’s Fast, the first day it was celebrated in a location of the Org. God opened 25 years ago. So when the Covid hit the Org. became a safe haven, together with a couple of volunteers, gave food to all those that were going through hard times. We picked up food from all over distributing to Churches and Agencies, that were in dire need of any kind of assistance we were there to give it, the only location in Kissimmee, that never closed through the Pandemic.
Latin Times Magazine: Tell us about your biggest achievement, and how you achieved it (Covid or non-related)
Olga Gonzalez: The biggest Achievement has been the help that God has given our City to accomplished, which has been in dealing with the homeless, Chronically, non-Chronically but homeless. People living in hotels. I have been able through God to show others, that they are also His children, and they need to be helped, if everyone together would help a little it would not be less of a burden on just one person. We all contribute to help, less stress on all. We are now working on that project.
Latin Times Magazine: What is next for you? What can people expect to see from you? Olga Gonzalez: My next move is to continue working with the problems as they come along. When I came on Board as the Mayor, God came bearing lots of gifts. We partnered with the County and Park Place Mental Behavior to build a 5-story building 2 floors for Substance Abuse and the other 2 floors for Mental illness. We also signed a contract with a Developer to start constructions on Apt's and homes, bringing lots more business to the Downtown, there are so many exciting things happening. There is so much more, things coming.
Latin Times Magazine: What does being a U.S. Citizen mean to you?
Olga Gonzalez: To me being a US Citizen means a lot. My parents came from PR, I was born in N.Y. We live in the land of opportunity. My husband is Cuban, I have been to third world countries, they are beautiful, but you must do what they say you must do. In the US, you have free choice, which is what God gives us free choice to either accept Him or not He is a gentleman, will not force anything on anyone, so on our own we have to pay the consequences of our actions. But they are caused by us because we have freedom to do as we want. In the US, we have the ability to become who ever God wants us to be US, was founded on Godly Principles. Let Freedom Ring.
Latin Times Magazine: What is your opinion of the state of affairs in our nation?
Olga Gonzalez: Again, I believe truly, that we have in our Constitution freedom of Choice, why would we submit to one person to dictate what we should or should not do. It is time to take a stance to all those that come from other countries, you are free to come here but not impose their beliefs on us, and not want to allow us to believe in what this country was built upon. GOD
Latin Times Magazine: What words of encouragement can you offer? Olga Gonzalez: It is time for us to stand firm and believe that if God has brought us this far, He will take us the rest of the Way. We just need to return to our First Love; He is Faithful and just. We are the ones that need to humble ourselves and ask for forgiveness. We are full of lies from this world; with God all things are possible.
Latin Times Magazine: Is there anything I didn’t ask that you would like to share?
Olga Gonzalez: I know I was placed here by God. I did not campaign, I ran because He asked me too. Because He asked me, I believed, if it was His will, it would happen and it did, both times. First when I ran for Commissioner, then again when I ran for Mayor. God is very much alive, do not allow the principalities of this world rob you of the blessing you are waiting for. The devil is a liar.
Latin Times Magazine: What is YOUR comida Latina favorita?
Olga Gonzalez: My favorite food is corned beef with potatoes green peppers and onions, white rice, and of course the Platanos maduros. I truly love to eat, all kinds of food,
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