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INDIO — Strolling through the new Coachella Valley Rescue Mission hours before its ribbon cutting Monday was emotional for Darla Burkett. (click here to read more)

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Giving Back: Coachella Valley Rescue Mission in search of blankets, clothing

Donations sought for rescue mission

Family Hospice Care, serving the Coachella Valley and High-Desert area, is collecting donations for the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission. (click here to read more)

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Food drive for Coachella Valley Rescue Mission on tap

The Palm Desert Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is holding a food drive for the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission in Indio. (click here to read more).

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“CampOut to StampOut Homelessness” will occupy a 2-acre city-owned dirt lot next to the park.

“That’s in part because the park is being overseeded, and also because it’s more in line with the experiences that (homeless) people are having,” said Lea Goodsell, a public relations consultant for the homeless shelter and service provider.

Rescue mission leaders hope up to 100 people will show up with their own sleeping gear to listen to speakers like Katherine Drum, who lived at the mission for more than a year, and Monico Vidiro, a current resident.

Participants will be served a simple dinner and breakfast, and they will be asked to help launch the mission’s new text-to-give “Power of 10” program by spreading the word to at least 10 friends through social media.

Anyone can text the word “Rescue” to 52000 and donate $10 to the mission. It will show up as a charge on the donor’s next phone bill.

The money will pay for beds in the women and children’s wing of the mission’s new building, set to open in November.

“This will never replace the old-fashioned way of writing out a check to the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, but we’re reaching out to a new generation that is more technical,” said Greg Fisher, misson director of development.

He said although there is no “old-fashioned sign-in sheet” for the campout, but he knows of at least 50 people who plan to attend.

Palm Desert City Councilwoman Jan Harnik is honorary co-chair of the event with Rancho Mirage Councilman Scott Hines, who spent a week on the streets last spring to bring attention to the plight of the homeless.

Harnik spent a day walking through Palm Desert with Hines that week, and was startled by what she saw.

“I talked to a lot of people that day. And there were a lot of families,” she said.

She said she has a family commitment that evening, but hopes to be at the Rancho Mirage event for most of the night.

Goodsell said electricity will be available for participants to recharge their phones or laptops as they tweet, update their status or otherwise share experience and information.

While the campout isn’t meant to be an exact duplication of homelessness, Goodsell said using cell phones doesn’t make it an inauthentic experience.

“Some homeless people have cell phones,” she said. “Not all of them are broke, some of them may be on disability, or getting government checks,” she said.

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From the Desert Sun – Floyd B. Rhoades of Indian Wells is chairman of the board of the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission.

A former Presbyterian minister, Rhoades is CEO of Vista Cove Senior Living, a company he and his investment partners founded in 2004. His company operates seven skilled nursing, assisted living and independent living communities in Southern California.

With 756 total beds, the chain includes Vista Cove of Rancho Mirage, a 2-acre facility that can house up to 56 Alzheimer’s patients.

Rhoades earned bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a master’s of divinity at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.

He is an elder at Palm Desert Community Presbyterian Church

Rhoades is a former chairman of the board for California Association of Health Facilities, former president of the Indian Wells Rotary Club and was chairman of the American Health Care Association’s disaster preparedness committee.

QUESTION: How has the rescue mission weathered the recession? Are donations bouncing back?

ANSWER: We have very faithful contributors and have been blessed by their continuing support. While working diligently to maintain support for our daily operations we are also engaged in a capital campaign for our new campus. We still need to raise about $3 million to complete that $12 million campaign.

Certainly there is sensitivity to the risk of the economy, and we have been very prudent in managing our operations. Our recent Back to School backpack giveaway was fairly negatively impacted by the economy. We received only about 60 percent of the contribution we historically have received for this program.

Giving during the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays is the most critical and will be the most telling. Service needs have increased by about 40 percent from prior years, so we need more resources to meet the increased demand. Cash, food and contributions to our capital campaign are most critical. Donations to our thrift store are very beneficial and much appreciated.

One of the great stories of the year was finding a home for Kim Kohloff and Eddie Gaytan after they spent 10 years on the streets. Tell us how that came about.

It’s all about trust, relationships and God’s timing. Our folks have been in touch with these folks for several years. Due to personal issues with each of them and the impact of development in the area where they were living, they were willing to entertain a better living arrangement. Our program director and others of our staff developed a trusting relationship with Kim and Eddie, worked with them to find an apartment and encouraged them to move in with the certainty that we would continue to support them in their transition to this new lifestyle. So far, things are going very well, and our staff continues to provide the support this couple needs to have a successful transition.

Your New Life Program held graduation ceremonies for 45 men, 18 women and three families in August. The program has been around for five years and has an 82 percent success rate. What are the keys to success?

This New Life Program is the best success story for the participants. A year-long faith-based program, participants are provided housing, meals, daily instruction in matters of faith and matters of life and are exposed to all the resources they need to make a successful transition to their New Life. The peer support and clear direction they receive prepares them to get back on their feet, find employment and appropriate housing and develop friendships that are positive and supportive.

The success rate of this program tells the story. Our staff, volunteers and the clients themselves are passionate about assuring that the steps toward New Life are steady and certain.

What does the mission need most from the public?

Most of all, we need your prayers. And then we need your financial and volunteer support. “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself; and he has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” Reconciliation is a critical part of people putting their past behind them and moving on toward new life in Christ. We are blessed every day by the incredible support of the public.

CVRM is totally dependent upon the generosity of the citizens of the Coachella Valley. We strive to effectively communicate the beneficial services and programs we provide and from that comes more and more community support. We are opening our new campus in November and the demand for additional food, clothing and services will grow exponentially.

We serve about 550 meals each day and house about 125 men, women and children. At our new campus, we can virtually double our services if we receive the financial support necessary for the additional staff, food and operating expenses that we will experience. The need is certainly great. With the continuous economic uncertainties and the diminution of charitable giving, we will need to identify new sources of support. We strongly believe that the generosity of the residents of the Coachella Valley will become more and more evident and we anticipate their strong and unwavering support of these critical and most beneficial programs and services that we provide every day.

As the CEO of a nursing home company, I believe you can bring a unique perspective to this question. Earlier this month, Eisenhower Medical Center dropped off a patient at the rescue mission. The valley has three homeless shelters, but no recuperative care center for the homeless to recover after being released from the hospital. What is being done to address this problem? Is the mission an appropriate drop-off?

This issue of drop-offs is a symptom of a systemic gap that needs to be addressed and resolved. The mission may or may not be an appropriate drop-off, depending upon the physical, psychological, spiritual and social needs of the client in question. The term “drop-off” is laden with emotion. “Collaborative Referral” to appropriate placement is what we should strive to attain. The interest that has been expressed by some to have a so-called “recuperative center” is one idea that may have merit.

However, I believe the first step could be that the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, which already has a Homelessness Committee with representation from all providers of services and each incorporated city in the Coachella Valley, call together representatives from the medical community to work alongside the missions and other providers of services for the homeless and address these systemic issues. An effort to identify current resources and additional programs or personnel could fill the gap here. Medi-Cal and other public payer sources could be part of the answer.

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Participants will “CampOut to StampOut Homelessness”

Supporters of the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission will be joining together for the inaugural “CampOut to StampOut Homelessness” on Saturday, October 8 through Sunday, October 9th next to Whitewater Park in Rancho Mirage. Beginning at 6pm on Saturday and ending at 9am on Sunday, the event is designed to let participants have a small glimpse into the issues the homeless face, as well as harness the power of social media and new technologies to raise money. The event is scheduled to precede World Homeless Day on October 10 (10/10) and will include a simple dinner and breakfast as well as other activities. Honorary co-chairs are Rancho Mirage Councilman Scott Hines and Palm Desert Councilmember Jan Harnik.
“We believe that by actually staying overnight outside or in tents, participants will become even more engaged with the Rescue Mission. We will also have clients who will share their experiences, and I believe that will be very powerful as well,” explained Greg Fisher, Director of Development. “In addition, we are hoping for 100 participants who will each email, text, call, tweet or message on Facebook 10 other friends and ask them to each donate $10 via our new Text to Give program. If all 100 participants are successful, we will raise $10,000 in a single evening to combat homelessness. It’s incredible what a lot of little gifts can add up to.” A hot spot will be set up so participants can connect to the internet.
Speakers at the event include Katherine Drum, who graduated from the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission New Beginnings program in the spring. She was homeless and living in the tamarisk trees in a tent by Hwy 10 before she found the Mission. In over a year living at the Rescue Mission she straightened out her life and has now moved into one of the Mission’s transitional homes (Bethany House) and is the house manager.
Monico Vidiro, a 43 year-old who formerly worked as a painter, in air conditioning and as a valet parking supervisor, is currently in the New Life Program after living on the streets. He has been living at the Rescue Mission for the past 130 days completing his program.

The event kicks off the Rescue Mission’s new Text to Give program, entitled “The Power of 10”. Those who wish to participate in the Campout can find more information or sign up at CVRM.org. Those who wish to donate to the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission via Text to Give now can simply text the word “Rescue” to 52000 to donate $10, which will be added to their next cell phone bill. All donations received through the Text to Give program will be used to purchase beds in the women’s and children’s wing of the new building, scheduled to open in November. A complete list of all furnishings which are still needed can be found on the Rescue Mission’s website at CVRM.org.

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INDIO — With her knees up to her chin, Gail Dombrowski sat cold and alone inside the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission chapel.

Around her wrist was a hospital-issued medical bracelet.

Dombrowski had just been dropped off by a cab hailed at Eisenhower Medical Center. She was the rescue mission’s latest “drop-off.”

While the valley touts three homeless shelters — one in Palm Springs and two in Indio — it lacks a recuperative care center for the sick homeless to recover after being released from the hospital. But that costs money — funds that local cities, Riverside County and the state just don’t have.

“Everybody seems to think this is a dumping ground,” said Olga Betancourt, program director at the rescue mission.

Since she started at the mission in April, she said there have been at least seven “drop-offs” from local hospitals.

Martha’s Village and Kitchen, which no longer runs an emergency overnight shelter, has seen its share of ill homeless as well.

“There’s no safety net for a lot of these people,” said John Wolohan, director and vice president of Martha’s.

Hospital officials are adamant they follow regulatory guidelines for the discharge of all patients and do not release anyone if they are still in need of treatment.

“We certainly go through a very comprehensive process to find the right place for this person. We don’t release someone until they are medically able to go,” said Rich Ramhoff, director of marketing at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.

While it’s not new to have hospitals release homeless people to the shelters, it’s become an extra burden on the agencies that are already financially strapped.

Homeless advocates agree that what’s needed in the desert and across Riverside County is a recuperative health care center — a place for the homeless to heal after being released from a hospital and where medical staff can ensure they are taking their medications.

“It’s the type of recuperative care that we would get from family and friends,” said Maria Marquez, the mental health service administrator with County of Riverside Department of Mental Health.

Such centers have popped up in recent years in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. There are about 57 nationwide.

A patient-dumping scandal and subsequent lawsuit spurred the creation of three of the four recuperative care centers in Los Angeles County.

“It is something that is needed,” said Aurora Wilson, director of community resources at the Coachella Valley Association of Governments. “It is indeed a very critical component for after care. Unfortunately, it involves funding.”

CVAG has a homelessness committee to address valleywide issues and built Roy’s Desert Resource Center, a homeless shelter north of Palm Springs.

‘A place to rest’

Hospital officials agree on the need for recuperative care facilities in the desert.

“We believe that every community would benefit greatly from recuperative care centers for their homeless population,” G. Aubrey Serfling, president and chief executive officer at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, said in a prepared statement.

“For both hospitals and patients, recuperative care centers ensure that medically discharged homeless patients are provided a place to rest in a bed which helps aid the healing process,” he said.

John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital officials could not be reached for comment.

Roy’s Resource Center sees upward of two cases a month where clients are dropped off after being discharged from the hospital.

Wolohan didn’t have statistics for how often that happens at Martha’s but said it is as much of an issue as it is with the other shelters.

“We’ve had people sent from various hospitals that are not good candidates for us. We’ve had people with open sores and can’t stand up,” he said. “We’ll send them back.”

As soon as Dombrowski got to the rescue mission, she was fed a big lunch.

“This is the biggest meal I’ve had in … I can’t remember,” Dombrowski said slowly, seemingly still sedated from her hospital stay.

After her meal, she settled into a chapel chair and leaned against the wall shivering.

“Right now I’m in so much back pain. If I had family to call, you think I’d be here?” Dombrowski said.

Rescue mission staff members brought her a blanket and kept an eye on her as much as they could.

Later that day, though, they took her to the emergency room at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital because she was still visibly ill and on medication.

“She was so drugged and we couldn’t do anything for her. She was really out of it,” Betancourt said.

Betancourt hasn’t heard from her since.

Unfortunately, it’s the ill homeless such as Dombrowski who fall through the cracks, Betancourt said.

Limited resources

Martha’s and Roy’s do have limited medical staff available but not on the level of a recuperative care center, where ill homeless can stay until they are well enough to venture out on their own.

Martha’s has an on-site clinic that is open five days a week and provides preventative and chronic disease management. Roy’s has a public health nurse at the center five days a week and a physician once a month.

The Coachella Valley Rescue Mission has no medical personnel on staff.

In a few cases, Betancourt said they have overextended themselves and taken on the role of a recuperative center.

The most recent example was in March when a 64-year-old double amputee showed up at the front door from one of the local hospitals.

“They have no idea where else to send people,” said David Willard, case manager at the rescue mission. “It’s been happening, and I foresee it happening more and more.”

Because the rescue mission is not handicapped accessible, the man’s wheelchair couldn’t be used everywhere.

Staff carried him around, bathed him and dressed him for about three months until he was properly placed in a county home for the disabled, Willard said.

“We have so much respect for humanity and compassion. We don’t like to see them out on the streets, so we do the best we can,” Betancourt said.

Wilson said she is hopeful that a grant through the Desert Healthcare District will increase the level of physician care to the homeless shelters, including a visit to the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission.

She said it wouldn’t be on the same level of a recuperative care center, but that it’s a start.

“We all know there is a critical need for that,” Wilson said.

“I think it would be very beneficial to see how Los Angeles pulled it off,” Betancourt said of the recuperative care centers.

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