Back in 1971, the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission wasn't much more than a soup kitchen with a few beds for homeless men to stay the night.
Today, the Christian ministry has expanded its Indio location to serve more than 80,000 hot meals a year and to be a place where people like Marcos Carrillo rebuild their lives.
"It's a difference from living a nightmare to an overflow of blessings," said the 34-year-old eastern Coachella Valley native, who was homeless for about two years before joining the mission's New Life Program two months ago.
"It saves people's lives," he said. "Without it, I don't know if I would be dead."
The mission celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, highlighted with a banquet Wednesday, March 29.
For those involved, this is a chance to not only reflect on the shelter's history, but also look ahead to the next 35 years.
"We are on the cusp of a new era, not just here in Indio but in the whole valley," the mission's executive director, James Lewis said. "I believe this next year will bring about a coalescing across the valley.
"This is the time - right now - to make a difference for the future."
Recovery Period
The mission was started as a soup kitchen in 1971 by some local Christian businessmen, thanks to some startup funds from the Union Rescue Mission of Los Angeles. That same year, they added some church services and a men's dormitory.
By the mid-1980s, the mission acquired the Hot Spot club next door and remodeled it into a shelter for women and families.
Soon after, the New Life Program began, offering folks a nine-month recovery "for people who feel the need to rebuild their life from the inside out," Lewis said.
Then in 2001, the mission hit what Lewis describes as a "crisis" period.
The shelter sued its former director, John Lands, and his wife, saying they had embezzled money over several years.
Lands later was charged and in 2003 pleaded guilty to eight felony counts of embezzlement. He was sentenced to 5 years probation and 240 days in jail and was ordered to pay $44,000 in restitution.
"We spent a lot of time rebuilding the trust of our donors," said Lewis, who came to the shelter after the scandal. "We had to transform it back to a place of recovery, because we were in recovery as well."
Expanding Mission
Not counting the cold weather emergency shelter it runs during the winter, the Rescue Mission has about 80 beds for homeless and needy people. But with constant inquiries and a waiting list to get in, the mission is finalizing plans to build a new campus on nearly 8 acres next to the current location.
Later this year, the shelter expects to kick off a capital fundraising campaign.
The current location's future is up in the air, but could be turned into classrooms or a program center.
The mission also continues to expand its work with Riverside County, the city of Indio and other local social services agencies.
"Lives are being transformed," said Michael Boyer, the mission's program director. "They're coming off the drugs and alcohol. They're making restitution with crime victims. It's just amazing.
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