Coachella Valley Rescue Mission

Story and photos by “The Palm Springs Local” Denise Ortuno Neil

With so much going on in the Palm Springs/Coachella Valley area, it is sometimes easy to forget that not everyone out here is on vacation and looking for a great place to eat, drink or shop, that there are people out here who live and in fact are the community and within that community, there are those in need, they are the homeless.

Did a vision just pop into your mind as you read the word “homeless”? Was it of a person on the side of the road asking for money, or sleeping on a park bench? Well if it was, you’d be as wrong as think you are right. There are those who fall into that category, it’s true, but more often than not, they are just those who, for whatever reason, have fallen on hard times due to anything from unemployment to domestic violence.

And that is where places like the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission come in. They provide a variety of services to those who need a helping hand, including, but not limited to, food, clothing, shelter, spiritual guidance, job assistance and community.

Established in 1971, the Mission has been dedicated to helping the homeless and needy for almost 40 years. Sandy Carroll is the development coordinator, and she was kind enough to lead me through a tour of the facility.

We started out in the cafeteria where they serve 500 meals a day to those who are staying at the Mission and to the hungry souls who come in from off the street. Then we moved into the chapel area, where they provide nondenominational spiritual services twice a day, and then at night, all of the chairs are removed and the chapel becomes a haven and an extension to the shelter, giving an extra 31 people a place to sleep.

We stopped off at the front desk and met John Bowley and Michael Meyer who are part of the New Life Program and man the front desk. The New Life Program lasts nine to 12 months and prepares those who have come to the shelter for long-term assistance, a way to re-enter society.

“This helps us to get ready to get out there again,” said Bowley.

Meyer continued, adding a comment about the spiritual services that the Mission provides by saying, “It helps us with our spiritual health as well.”

We traveled on to the section that houses women and children, part of which used to be a bar/nightclub back in the early ’80s. There are different sections in the women’s area, rooms that allow women and their children to be together, and rooms where several women can bunk. There are short-term and long-term areas as well for those who are in the New Life Program. The Mission also works closely with Shelter From the Storm and Olive Crest, assisting with their programs for women and children.

We also visited the men’s quarters that have a bit of historical significance, being that part of it was once Gen. Patton’s barracks back during World War II. Afterwards, Carroll pointed out the area of the shelter that caught fire last spring due to an electrical malfunction, destroying the laundry area that has since been rebuilt. Fortunately everyone escaped without injury.

Out back not far from the laundry sits the food bank area where shelves of food ensure nutrition for the hungry. The Vons grocery store in Rancho Mirage donated all of their food to the mission when they closed down their store a couple months back. It’s generosity from organizations such as Vons that keep the Mission going. The shelter relies on private donations, which amount to 92 percent of their funding. They also get help from local events that donate fund to them such as The Bob Hope Classic and the annual tennis tournament in Indian Wells. All of this aid becomes more vital as the homeless population continues to grow. The Mission is moving towards building a new facility across the street from their current location that will expand their ability to help even more people.

As the tour came to an end, we visited with Ron Farmer, who performs a variety of jobs throughout the shelter and who is a resident as well. His vibrant and hopeful demeanor was inspiring and what he said about the shelter sums it all up perfectly, “This place is a place of second chances.”

For more information on how you can help with donations or volunteer your time, call (760) 347-3512.

Special thanks to Darla Burkett, Sandy Carroll, Rogelio Caballero and everyone at the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission.

To visit the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission’s Web site, click here.

The Coachella Valley Rescue Mission
47-518 Van Buren St.
Indio, CA 92201

“The Palm Springs Local,” Denise Ortuno Neil, is a native Southern Californian residing in Palm Desert. Her articles have appeared in local publications as well as television and even greeting cards! With a keen eye on local events and people, she puts her perspective in her articles with a unique blend of humor, irony and just a touch of gentle cynicism.