SOMEBODY’S SOMEONE Photo contributed by Lydia G. Lopez Left to right: Lilliana Ruiz, Sycelia Rosas, Stepfanie Espinoza, Lydia Lopez, Seanna Melgoza and Paulita Guiterrez attended the COVID-19 memorial to honor Lydia Gutierrez Lopez on May 18, 2021.
Family honors woman’s legacy by helping the homeless By Jennifer Serrano Ramirez
together. She was grateful that they were keeping her company in such rough times of isolation.
long-lasting legacy began with a relationship that sparked in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lydia Gutierrez Lopez, a mother of four, always had a special place in her heart for the homeless community. She became extremely empathetic towards homelessness, knowing her first-born grandson, Angel, and his girlfriend, Neecol, were experiencing it. Lydia opened her doors to them and offered them shelter, a place to stay.
Unfortunately, on Dec. 20, 2020, Lydia passed away from complications due to COVID. On May 9, 2021, Mother’s Day the following year, her daughter and namesake, Lydia Lopez, decided to continue her legacy.
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During the pandemic, Lydia’s love for Angel and Neecol grew as they began to spend more time
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When Lydia G. passed away, Neecol decided to express her gratitude to her family. Daughter Lydia L. says Neecol told them,”Your mom was the only person who made me feel like I was a human being. She took me in and she gave me clothing. She treated me like family. Not only