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Bouncing along through life
Doug Flanagan/Post-Register
Gloria Mendez has been working full-time as a line supervisor for Quincy Foods for the past 13 years, but has usually managed to supplement that work with part-time jobs on the weekends.
“I have always liked to have a part-time job,” she said. “I used to clean houses on the weekends.”
About three years ago a friend of hers told Mendez that she was interested in renting out and delivering inflatable bouncers to children’s parties, but didn’t have the necessary time to do so. Intrigued, Mendez picked up on the idea, made some calls and eventually created her new — and current — side gig: Mendez Party Supply and Rentals.
Mendez enjoys the work mostly because she can spend time with her three children — Kevin, 14; Anthony, 9; and Jasmine, 6.
“I like to take my kids with me,” Mendez said. “They help me set things up. They have a lot of fun with it. One time before I went to the party, Anthony said, ‘Mom, I want $5 to help out.’ I told him he had to wait until after I got paid. He thought about it and said, ‘OK, but if I have to wait, I want $10.’ ”
Mendez said the business has been a profitable venture so far, and expects the success to continue throughout the summer.
“I’ve been booked every week since March,” she said. “I’ve managed to get a lot of customers. Some of them call me a whole month before their party.”
Mendez has Princess Dora, Spider-Man, Transformers and Mickey Mouse toys for kids and parents to choose from. But no matter which toy she delivers, Mendez knows that it will be a popular attraction at the party.
“It’s an all-day rental, so I’ll deliver the toy, leave and come back at the end of the party,” she said. “Sometimes I’ll leave and won’t come back until around 10 or 11 p.m., and the kids are still jumping on it, and someone will tell me they’ve been jumping on it all day. Kids have a lot of energy.”
Mendez was born in Wenatchee, but her parents moved her family — which now includes four brothers, who all live in the Quincy area — to Mexico when she was 7 months old. They moved back to Quincy in 1994, when Mendez was 14, and she’s been here ever since.
In her spare time, she likes to spend time with her children, go shopping and visit nearby lakes. Also, every once in a while, Mendez likes to take the child inside of herself out for a little exercise.
“Sometimes, on the weekends when I have an extra jumper, I’ll call my brothers to come over and we’ll jump,” she said. “Sometimes I jump with my kids. It’s a lot of fun.”
