OKLAHOMA CITY After 28 years in the U.S. Air Force, Margo Gonzales wanted to continue serving in some capacity.
With a passion for helping others and “a soft spot for seniors,” she found the perfect fit with Caring Transitions relocation services.
Gonzales went to work for a franchise in Oklahoma City in 2017 before buying the franchise and opening two more in Moore and Norman.
Caring Transitions manages the many aspects of a senior move, whether it’s downsizing to a safer living space or assisting families with clearing out the home of a loved one who has died or has moved into assisted care.
“This is my way of giving back,” Gonzales said, adding that she didn’t have the opportunity to help when her father died at age 60.
“We’ll pretty much do anything that will help a family get through a loss,” she said.
As an Air Force loadmaster, Gonzales supervised the loading and unloading of cargo aboard C-130 aircraft, skills that transferred to her new job.
The business handles decluttering, organizing, packing, moving, resettling, in-home estate sales and online auctions, estate clearing and preparing homes for sale. They often work with real estate agents who need to get a house empty and ready for the market.
Better-than-garage-sale items are put up for sale, and the rest are put in a “pickers sale” during the auction pickup.
“We leave the house empty, broom swept and wiped down,” Gonzales said.
The whole process takes about two weeks but depends on the number of items in the house. With a full attic and fully furnished house, it can take up to five days to get ready for the auction, she said.
Among the most common items are kitchenware, china and big bulky furniture. “We do find things that we don’t talk about,” Gonzales said.
“Every job is a treasure hunt,” she said. Old coins and old toys are her favorite finds. “Vintage clothes are popular with younger people. We sell quite a bit.”
Two fellow retired Air Force members helped Gonzales start the business her husband and partner, Jack Beckham, and David Garlett, her brother-in-law, who was a partner in the beginning.
The staff is also comprised of veterans or military family members. Gonzales said they make great employees because they are dependable, honest, work extra when needed and know how to speak to people with respect.
“We’re all about helping the senior population, some who are not well taken care of in the U.S. We become their family,” Gonzales said. “We love what we do. It’s a blessing.”
Caring Transitions has about 300 franchises nationwide, including in Tulsa and western Oklahoma.
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