The moment Julieta Martinez says hello, you instantly notice her warmth and sparkling smile.
As I chatted with her at her place of business, FOSS Resale House in La Quinta, Martinez’s engaging personality even eclipsed the huge inventory of furniture, clothing, knick-knacks and home decor she has collected over the years.
Born in the 1960s in Puebla, Mexico, near Mexico City, Martinez was the second of four children; she has two sisters and a brother. She met and married her husband, Rogelio, there; they had two children. In 2006, the family moved to the Coachella Valley when her husband found a job as a Baptist minister at a La Quinta church.
“I am very grateful,” Martinez said. “We came with just five large boxes, with a lot of faith in what the Lord has for us. My husband had legal documentation to work at the time, but it took a while for the rest of us. We had a lot of help through Riverside County services, etc.
“My kids both graduated from Coachella Valley High School. Now my son, Rogelio (Roger), is a pastor, and aided by scholarships and loans, my daughter is a doctor of internal medicine. She’s also a member of the National Guard.”
One interesting note: Martinez’s daughter, Evelyn Caballero, is believed to be one of only two graduates of Coachella Valley High School who became a doctor and then came back to practice in the Coachella Valley. The other is Rep. Raul Ruiz.
Martinez had been employed as a Christian educator in Mexico, and after the move, she found work at the Trinity Baptist Church as a chaplain. She also took a job at Planned Parenthood. While interviewing with Planned Parenthood, Martinez said, she was confused by one of the questions.
“When I came here, my English wasn’t very good, and I didn’t know anything about ‘pro-choice’ or ‘pro-life,’” she said. “Once I understood, I told them I was ‘pro-life’—but I also said that God gives us choice. He gives us free will, so you decide what is best for you, and then deal with the consequences.” She worked there for about two years.
A bit later, her husband was in a motorcycle accident that nearly killed him; he needed almost two years to recover.
“With FOSS, I started small—like a garage sale. But then, gradually, people started bringing items to donate, and we really grew.”
Julieta Martinez
“He was preaching part-time, but I knew I needed to get another job so that I can support the whole family,” Martinez said. “I went to work for the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission in their thrift store. Later, they opened two additional stores. I said to myself, ‘Why am I working for them? I could do this on my own!’ I spoke to my son and my daughter, who both encouraged me.”
In 2016, she opened FOSS (Focus on Student Success) Resale Boutique, and obtained nonprofit status. Her son, Roger, a musician who previously taught at Desert Christian Academy, began teaching music in a front room of the FOSS Resale building. The program started with a few troubled kids, and then expanded to include the entire community.
“With FOSS, I started small—like a garage sale,” Martinez said. “But then, gradually, people started bringing items to donate, and we really grew.”
FOSS Resale Boutique now takes up nearly 10,000 square feet. An enterprise this large requires more than one person to keep things running. “I’m here all the time, but I have five volunteers who help me out on various days during the week,” Martinez said.
Martinez admitted that FOSS has struggled a bit since COVID-19. They don’t have an advertising budget or a website and rely on social media and word-of-mouth to bring in customers.
“We bring in enough to keep the place going and to support the music program, which has since moved to Trinity Baptist Church,” she said. “The number of students really decreased after COVID, and it’s tough to afford teachers. We offer piano, guitar, bass and drums. All classes are free of charge to the students. We also offer the Strengthening Families Program, a nationally known program that promotes communication, improves parenting skills and helps decrease teen drug use and delinquency. It’s a 12-week program we run on Wednesdays and Sundays that also offers food.”
Martinez has faced some dark times; she divorced her husband in 2018. After discovering her husband was unfaithful, Martinez issued a warning: “I said, if you do it again, I will divorce you and tell everyone about it in a book.” The book, titled My Husband Wanted to Have a Girlfriend, is available on Amazon.
Martinez said the secret to keeping FOSS open is God’s blessings.
“He wants me to keep going,” she said. “… We are here to listen, to help, to be friendly, showing the love. I think that’s the key.”
She also touted her inventory. “You will find really nice things here you won’t find anywhere else,” she said.
Now living in Indio, Martinez said the top item on her bucket list is a trip to Israel. Three previous attempts—all pre-paid trips—had to be cancelled, first due to COVID, then a spider bite that required medical attention, and, finally, the ongoing military conflict in Israel.
What advice would Martinez give to a young person just starting out in life? “Everyone has to figure that out for themselves. I would recommend serving. For me, it was to serve the Lord. But when you serve the Lord, you serve everybody,” she said—flashing that sparkling smile.
Bonnie Gilgallon has written theater reviews for the Independent since 2013. She hosts a digital interview show, The Desert Scene, which can be heard on www.thedesertscene.com and viewed on Mutual Broadcasting’s YouTube channel. Learn more at bonnie-g.com.
