CELEBRATING GIGI OSORIA

***A Lifelong Advocate Nourishing Our Community***

If you’ve ever met Gigi Osoria, you know she brings more than just knowledge and passion into a room — she radiates confidence, energy, and a bold presence. Whether she’s leading a Zumba class, assisting families with housing resources, or advocating for health and social justice, Gigi shows up fearlessly and unapologetically.

At the IDHCC, we believe in lifting up the leaders who make our community thrive. This Black History Month, we are thrilled to honor one of our own: Guillermina ‘Gigi’ Osoria — a bilingual Afro-Latina powerhouse activist, a community health hero, and a beloved volunteer for Albuquerque’s International District.

Born in Puerto Rico to Dominican parents, Gigi’s multicultural roots fuel her mission to bridge gaps in healthcare, food security, and social justice. With 30+ years of experience, she’s helped hundreds of families access housing, healthcare, and dignity — all while teaching Zumba, growing her own food, and raising a family as a mother of two and a grandma of two.

A Voice for Health Equity & Social Justice

Gigi’s commitment to advocacy extends far beyond the IDHCC and Food Hub. She has fought for equitable healthcare access, calling attention to systemic issues that disproportionately affect Black and Indigenous communities.

As part of Black Health New Mexico, she went to Cuba alongside midwives, doulas, nurses, and therapists — a team of 13 Black and Indigenous medical professionals advocating patient-centered care. As the only Black Latina Indigenous woman in the group, Gigi has fearlessly spoken out against corporate-driven healthcare models that profit off of illness rather than promoting wellness.

Her passion for health equity has led her to challenge the prioritization of pharmaceuticals over holistic, preventive care. She actively questions why medical institutions in the U.S. invest heavily in certain treatments while ignoring groundbreaking advancements abroad and fights for a healthcare system that prioritizes truth, prevention, and community well-being.

She is also a strong advocate for Black maternal health. Although Black women make up only 1% of New Mexico’s population, they have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the state. Gigi has seen firsthand the dangers of systemic racism in healthcare — her cousin, a military servicewoman, nearly lost her baby due to neglect until her husband, also in the Air Force, arrived in uniform and suddenly changed the hospital staff’s attitude. Stories like these fuel Gigi’s passion to fight for accountability in healthcare.

Gigi’s advocacy is not just about awareness — it’s about action. She continues to work on housing rights, food justice, and healthcare accessibility, ensuring that vulnerable communities have the resources they need to thrive.

***Advocating for Paid Family Medical Leave***

Commitment to Ethics & Public Trust

Gigi’s work is built on integrity, trust, and accountability. As a licensed insurance broker, Medicare and Medicaid consultant, and Social Security advocate, she upholds the highest compliance standards and professional responsibility.

She oversees essential services like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and trusts, ensuring that seniors and vulnerable populations receive the benefits they are entitled to.
She carries multiple state and federal licenses requiring strict background checks, financial responsibility, and ethical conduct. Her role is not just as an advocate — she is the system, working within it to make change.
She holds a notary commission, a high level of state recognition requiring an oath of ethical service.
Every two years, she must renew her license, proving her continued dedication to walking the talk and serving the community with honor and transparency.

For Gigi, this work is more than a job — it’s a calling. She carries the responsibility of ensuring that people don’t just get referred to resources, but receive the help they need. She fights for justice in healthcare, housing, and financial security — and she does it with grace, strength, and a fierce commitment to doing what’s right.

Gigi’s Legacy: By the Numbers

53 individuals secured Social Security benefits
387 families kept in their homes through Emergency Rental Assistance
Countless souls nourished through IDHCC, I.D. Food Hub, diabetes coaching, and advocacy.

A Conversation with Gigi: Passion, Purpose, and Power

Gigi Osoria’s life work is fueled by love, resilience, and a deep commitment to justice. From healthcare advocacy to food justice, from housing rights to community empowerment, she moves with a contagious passion. Here, she shares the personal experiences and values that drive her mission.

You’ve described your work as “nourishing bodies, minds, and souls.” How did your upbringing shape this philosophy?
My mother and grandmother were the first to teach me the importance of leading by example. As the first grandchild, I was told that my actions set the example for my siblings. Growing up in a Catholic school and being deeply connected to faith and family values also shaped my sense of purpose.
My father also gave me a lesson that has stayed with me for life: “You have a choice — to do good or to do bad. Either way, people will talk about you, but what do you want to be remembered for?”
At seven, I felt a spiritual calling to serve others. Later, working in healthcare, I realized health isn’t just medicine -- it’s food, housing, and dignity.
How does your Afro-Latina heritage influence your advocacy?
My identity — Afro-Latina, Indigenous, Spanish-speaking — lets me bridge worlds. In corporate jobs, I was often a ‘tax credit hire’ because of my background. But I turned that into power: I learned systems from the inside and then brought that knowledge back to my community.
When I’m with my Black community, I belong, When I’m with my Spanish-speaking people, I belong too. And when I’m in Indigenous spaces, I feel I belong too. This gift lets me advocate for everyone.
You recently lobbied for paid family medical leave. Why is this policy critical for our community?
I fought for paid family medical leave because so many families in our community are forced to choose between taking care of a loved one and keeping their jobs. Not every workplace values family and people who are already struggling shouldn’t have to make that impossible choice.
I know firsthand how critical this is. When my father was sick, I took family leave — but it wasn’t paid. I used that time to care for him while also learning a new skill. I enrolled in free workforce programs and earned my CNA, phlebotomy, and medical assistant licenses, all while caring for my parents. But not everyone can survive unpaid gaps.
In New Mexico, many organizations receive funding for family support services, but those services are often not accessible to the community. The resources exist — but they’ve not reached the people who need them most. That’s why I fight to ensure policies are not just written but enforced and truly benefit families.
I also lobby at the state legislature for:
- School meal funding - fighting for funding so schools can provide locally sourced, healthy meals.
- Caregiver wages - so those who care for their loved ones can receive proper support.
Health is not just about hospitals — it is about housing, food, wages, and community. That’s why I show up for all of it.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned from 30 years in community health work?
I’ve worked in healthcare systems across multiple states -- Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and New Mexico. What I’ve learned is this: healthcare access depends entirely on where you live.
In some states, if you are undocumented, you have no options. In New Mexico, it is different. Even if you are undocumented, there are still resources, programs, and organizations that can help. But the challenge is making sure people know their rights and have access to these programs.
Here is something that shocks people: New Mexico has about 2 million people, and nearly half of them - 1 million - are on Medicaid. That tells us something major:
- Half the state is low-income.
- Half the state has low health literacy.
- Half the state needs better financial education and access to care.
That’s why my work is focused on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security advocacy. People need to understand their benefits and how to navigate the system. Because if you don’t have housing, you can’t have health. If you don’t have food, you can’t have health. And if you don’t have health, nothing else matters.
What’s a piece of advice for someone who wants to make a difference but doesn’t know where to start?

Start with what you love. We are all born with something in our hearts that brings us joy. My gift is love. My mission is to unite and keep hope alive. I’ve known this since I was a little girl, and I carry that in everything I do.

For me, dancing is life. It’s about celebrating your body, celebrating the earth, and feeling the rhythm of love and energy. It’s a reminder that life is meant to be felt and lived fully.

So my advice? Find what moves you. Maybe it’s food justice, housing, healthcare, youth empowerment -- whatever it is, start here. Find an organization, volunteer, ask questions, and just begin. Because we are the ones who can change the world. It starts with us. It starts with love. It starts with action.