A tall and attentive doodle helps a homeowner pick up a newspaper that’s just been delivered and landed on the lawn. A yellow lab patiently waits for its human owner to provide a directive. A standard poodle graciously eases into the role of a PTSD service dog for a military veteran.

These are but a few glimpses into the lives of support animals and their owners, which Canine Support Teams has matched up. The Murrieta-based nonprofit sprang to life in 1989 and has offered specially trained dogs to persons with disabilities to support their social, personal, and occupational independence.

A recent grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation through the Riverside County ARPA Fund will allow the organization to use those resources for a variety of initiatives.

“The grant is so beneficial to our mission,” said Darryl Howard, CEO of Canine Support Teams. “We’re all in a competency program. We start with puppies. We have the puppy raising program, which is 16 to 18 months.”

“After that, the program goes into advanced training, then the service animal is placed with the client,” he added. “The grants we receive help in all of those stages—anything from purchasing the puppy to the food to veterinarian bills to housing when they are on the facility in between the training aspects.”

To that end, the nonprofit’s work is both noble and empowering.

More than a half-dozen programs reach various individuals with varying needs. The organization’s Service Dog arm places service dogs with disabled clients who may be affected by any number of disabilities—from multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy to traumatic brain injury and military-related post-traumatic stress disorder.

Pawz For Wounded Vets also stands out. The program provides assistance dogs to men and women who serve or have served the country. 

Yet another unique offering is the Prison Pup Program. Its mission is to “positively impact the lives of select prison participants.” These individuals are chosen to serve as training partners. 

Other programs, such as the Facility Dog Program, which provides assistance dogs to various facilities that have a significant impact on vulnerable populations, showcase the nonprofit’s significant reach.

Howard has been CEO of the organization for about eight months after many years of involvement. He praises the volunteer program, which allows individuals to get become more deeply involved with the work at hand. 

Puppy Raisers, for instance, is a key program, linking dogs with people. The program is a 15- to 18 month-long commitment in which the puppy raiser takes their assigned pup nearly everywhere they might like to go: movies, restaurants, stores.

Even vacations, in fact. The idea is to expose the animal to all the things they could encounter as a working service dog. This instills confidence.

“It’s an incredible experience because what happens is the puppy raisers and sponsors often literally sign up immediately after they release their puppy,” Howard said. “They’re just right in line for the next puppy. And it changes their life because they know the outcome. They know the impact, the end result, and what that’s going to be.

“It’s a full circle reward,” he added. “We have puppy raisers and sponsors who are on their 10th or 12th or 14th puppy for our organization. It’s just incredible that they give themselves and they give their time to be a part of the program.”

Howard invites those interested in the program, or in volunteering in some way, to visit the nonprofit’s website.

Learn more at caninesupportteams.org.

This article originally appeared in the Press-Enterprise, April 2025.

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“Trees need people,” professes the nonprofit TreePeople. “And people need trees.”  In the wake of the January 2025 Southern California wildfires, the statement holds even greater impact.

Now, thanks to the League of California Community Foundations/Wildfire Resilience Fund through Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF), TreePeople is broadening its reach in its mission to inspire, engage, and support individuals to take personal responsibility for the environment.

“TreePeople has traditionally been Los Angeles County-focused,” said David Pineda, Director of Strategy for the nonprofit. “And we are focused on restoration and reforestation projects in the Santa Monica and sometimes Santa Monica Mountains and the Angeles National Forest. 

“But this IECF grant really allowed us to advance our partnership and planning efforts that we have with the San Bernardino National Forest to conduct similar on-the-ground reforestation projects,” he added. “This allows us to plan strategically with the forest and partners to begin work and access additional resources to get the projects done.”

The grant specifically gives TreePeople an opportunity to hone in on the Apple and El Dorado fire star areas and plan and build a partnership with the forest service. That would allow the nonprofit to pursue larger public funds.

“Funding is a really crucial piece of that puzzle,” Pineda said.

It’s also an ongoing endeavor for TreePeople. Like most nonprofits, resources are key, yet in a given year, funding fluctuates, making the organization’s mission to inform people all the more challenging.

“People may not realize the scale at which the organization is operating on,” Pineda said. “We’re a staff of about 120 folks across the greater Los Angeles area, and more and more in the Inland Empire region. It’s important for folks to know that, yeah, we are doing work across the mountains in Southern California and across the urban communities in the IE and L.A. areas.”

Launched in 1973, TreePeople has become one of the largest environmental organizations stationed in Southern California. It aims to “inspire, engage, and support” more than 3 million people in the region to act for the environment. This can be done in numerous ways, but planting and caring for trees in forests, mountains, parks, and our neighborhoods is one key initiative. 

To that end, the nonprofit guides communities to create—perhaps “plant”—a more resilient future by greening their neighborhoods. Through its educational programs, TreePeople easily shares knowledge with various policymakers, students, educators, and communities in the region and around the world.

Pineda encourages individuals to visit the nonprofit’s website and consider volunteer opportunities. Forestry and school greening projects stand out. When schools are covered in concrete, for instance, TreePeople creates green schoolyards. Additionally, if communities experience food insecurity, TreePeople distributes fruit trees. 

Drought issues are also addressed. During California droughts, TreePeople designs solutions to capture rainwater. 

Two other key initiatives stand out.

One of them is education. TreePeople provides students, teachers, and school communities with knowledge and the tools and support needed to create environmental change. Another prominent anchor is the TreePeople Land Trust, which stewards more than 3,000 acres of land in the Santa Monica Mountains, thereby protecting those spaces for the benefit of future generations. 

To learn more or to volunteer, visit treepeople.org.

This article originally appeared in the Press-Enterprise, April 2025.

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In August 2023, Tropical Storm Hilary ripped through Coachella Valley, causing widespread flooding and damage, with the City of Palm Springs recording historic rainfall. In the aftermath, assistance came on many fronts and for many months.

To that end, a Build Coachella Fund grant via Inland Empire Community Foundation became a valuable resource for the nonprofit TODEC. Established in the early 1980s, the organization provides a lifeline for immigrants and their families in the region by offering advocacy, legal services, community organizing, civic engagement, and much more.

“With the grant, we concentrated our efforts in deploying assistance to farm workers that were impacted economically,” said Luz Gallegos, Executive Director of the organization. “During that time, there was a backlash from COVID and then Tropical Storm Hillary washed away our fields in the region. The only safety net that our farm workers have is their jobs. So, when that gets impacted, so do their families, and the economy.”

Gallegos said that the grant allowed TODEC to provide one-time financial assistance for workers who were impacted so they could purchase groceries and the like. 

“This is where the greatest impact was,” she added. “We paid it forward.”

TODEC has been doing that ever since its humble beginnings.

More than 40 years ago, Luz Maria and Antonio Ayala were new Americans hoping to build their lives in Perris, Calif. They had worked diligently to organize with the community in Michoacan, Mexico, and eventually with the United Farmworkers and Civil Rights Movement in Los Angeles before moving to the rural Inland Empire to grow their family.

It was at this time that they began seeing a wide range of injustices impacting their neighbors in the Inland Empire—from how they were improperly treated by employers and profiled by police to being ignored by politicians and watched by immigration. The duo founded TODEC to assist fellow recent immigrants with various aspects of American life, including learning English, establishing citizenship, and creating new connections in their new communities.

“We didn’t have so many protections back in the 1980 as we do now as in the state and in the country,” Gallegos said. “Some of the farmers didn’t want to pay their workers so they would just call Border Patrol and they would deport them. My parents founded the organization because they were living those realities along with our community, and it was important to organize and advocate for this farm worker community.”

Elevating their stories and voices became key when sharing information with elected officials.

“Out of that struggle, TODEC was founded,” she said. “Since then, the organization has grown to be a regional hub for immigrants in the Inland Empire, from Blythe and Eastern Riverside County, all the way to the High Desert and San Bernardino County.”

Today, TODEC’s reach is considerable. Civic engagement and voting remain significant initiatives. To that end, TODEC mobilizes locals to vote and be heard at the polls. 

Other programs and events stand out, too. TODEC’s Annual Festival Monarca y Feria Educativa, for instance, celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, empowering thousands of community members throughout the event, which featured entertainment, advocacy, and valuable connection with community members.

As the group moves deeper into 2025, Gallegos and the team are keeping their eye on shifts occurring in today’s political climate.

“Right now, more than ever, because of the political climate, fear of immigration amongst our farm workers, especially those that are undocumented, has risen,” she said. “We’ve had families report that they have not left their house since election day.”

She noted that some of those apprehensions include fears of raids and immigration patrols.

“That’s why we provide free community education, immigration legal resources, and legal support so that the community members know their constitutional rights,” Gallegos said. “With the constant changes in policies coming from the federal level, we want to make sure that our community is well-equipped and well-informed.”

Learn more at todec.org.

This article originally appeared in the Desert Sun, April 2025.

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To be sure, the January 2025 Southern California wildfires have put the entire state on alert. For Rivers & Lands Conservancy, a revered nonprofit that conserves and stewards a variety of open spaces, the challenges have varied these last few months.

“We’ve taken a hard look at how to communicate with the community on how they can be more fire resilient, and to be a resource for them to get further information,” said Rebecca K. O’Connor, Co-Executive Director of the organization. “It’s important to be able to talk to the municipalities and be a resource to them as well.”

O’Connor said the recent wildfires gave the nonprofit an opportunity to research, connect with partners, and refine its messaging.

“We want to ensure that we’re on the same page with all of our partners and our partners are on the same page with us,” she said.  “We want to know how we can help when it comes to wildfire resiliency.”

Being a land conservancy, the organization has a nexus with wildfires, but it’s not something that it typically deals with on a day-to-day basis. It has long been a champion of conserving treasured open spaces such as parks, agricultural lands, sensitive habitats, and large nature reserves interwoven with the growing cities, towns, and rural neighborhoods across southern California.

When asked how the recent fires may have shifted some of some key initiatives or messaging for the organization as it moves deeper into this year, O’Connor was candid.

“I think it’s human nature to not think the worst will happen,” she said. “We’re all told we should prepare for earthquakes. Most of us do not have enough water in our house for that or all the other necessities. We’ve always known that a firestorm was a potential, but we don’t want to believe the worst. So, I think that everyone’s thinking a little bit harder about it right now. It’s a reality to the general public, and that makes it critical for them to know where to look for the resources to prepare.”

Founded in 1989 as Riverside Land Conservancy, the private nonprofit corporation was formed to protect southern California landscapes that provide habitat and open space for wildlife and people for future generations. For more than three decades, the Conservancy has been instrumental in acquiring and preserving more than 14,500 acres of open space valued at more than $82 Million. To date, the organization holds and stewards 3,328 acres. About 14,862 total acres are conserved by Rivers & Lands Conservancy. This includes properties transferred to conservation partners.

In addition to the 2025 wildfires, federal funding has become a vital issue for many nonprofits now. With all the shifts in federal funding taking place nationally, O’Connor said that while the organization is not reliant on federal funding, it certainly affects the nonprofit to some degree. 

“It affects some of our partners more deeply,” she said. “We do work a lot with federal agencies outside of the funding side of that, so it’s difficult to watch the current shakeup. We’re all a little nervous about what comes next.”

Overall, she added, the focus remains on fundraising.

“It’s a hard time to fundraise for everyone,” she added. “We’re all nervous about inflation and whether or not we’re going to have what we need to take care of ourselves, and our families let alone support another organization. These times are challenging for all, but Rivers & Lands Conservancy has been around for more than 30 years, and we have got through some really trying times, and we’ll get through these as well.”

A key focus at the moment is to make sure impacts are happening locally. To that end, signature community programs continue to stand out. Through a recent grant from IECF through the League of California Community Foundations (LCCF) Wildfire Resilience Fund – Riverside County, the organization published a helpful booklet, California Native Plants and Fire Resilient Landscaping. (Download your copy here.)

With its Wildfire Resilience initiative, for instance, the nonprofit branches out. One component is educating individuals that fire safety begins with the construction of homes and associated structures. That’s known as home hardening and defensible space.

Information for creating a Wildfire Emergency Plan is also available.

Meanwhile, a Native Plant Gardens element illuminates the importance of innovation. Created within built communities, the organization weaves a unique patchwork of micro gardens into a larger quilt of a restored habitat. It also works with community partners to beautify various public spaces.

Learn more at riversandlands.org.

This article originally appeared in the Press-Enterprise, April 2025.

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If you’ve not yet wrapped charitable giving provisions into your will, trust, and financial plans, it’s never too late (or too early) to do so. IECF is happy to work with you and your legal, tax, and wealth advisors to set up charitable giving structures and processes that align with your intentions to support favorite charities and causes, as well as reinforce the tax and estate planning objectives you’ve set in motion.  

Indeed, formalizing your charitable intentions can bring a deep sense of purpose. By incorporating charitable giving into your estate plan, your values and philanthropic commitments can continue beyond your lifetime.   

What’s more, lifetime charitable giving can be part of a strategic wealth management plan, allowing you to optimize your financial resources while supporting causes you care about. For example, charitable income tax deductions for your donations may reduce your taxable income and lower your annual tax bill. Plus, donating appreciated assets, such as publicly-traded stock held for more than one year, can help you avoid capital gains taxes. In addition, dollars flowing to charities following your death can help minimize the burden of estate taxes. 

IECF team would be honored to help you develop a philanthropy plan, starting with lifetime giving and incorporating estate gifts as your legacy intentions take shape. As you consider whether the time might be right for you to formalize your charitable giving, here are three tips to consider–all of which IECF can help you achieve: 

Give to what you know. Most people experience the greatest joy from giving to causes that are personally familiar. Personal experience makes it easier to understand how the charity is using your dollars. So, for example, if you’ve had experience with helping foster children, you are likely to understand how the organization is using your donation to support training for foster parents. Please ask IECF team for insights! It’s our job to keep up with the good work of charities that are meeting local needs.  

Give where you are. Even with the increasing number of community challenges across the country and the globe, sometimes the greatest needs are right here at home. IECF team can help you identify opportunities to support local charities by gathering information about the overall need and how a particular charity addresses that need. When you give to local organizations, you are in a strong position to have confidence in your gift. 

Give to the causes you love. Donations to charities that are aligned with your own passions make you feel the best and ultimately make the most difference because you’re likely to continue giving. IECF team is here to help bring your community dreams to life through the power of philanthropy. And that feels great!  

If you’ve already established a donor-advised fund or other type of fund with IECF, or if you are considering getting started with IECF this year, we are here for you! IECF is honored to serve as your home for charitable giving. Our team looks forward to hearing from you. 

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team any time, and stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at IECF is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

The post Make a plan–and make your favorite charities part of it appeared first on IECF.

Given how we are wired, it’s easy to understand why natural disasters, humanitarian tragedies, and other crises often prompt people to make charitable donations. It’s often tempting to give to a charity without a lot of thought, both because of the emotional pull as well as the urgency of the human need presented by the crisis. But that’s usually not wise.

Here’s why: 

–It’s important to make sure the charity is reputable and has a proven track record.  

–It’s also important to consider that giving cash is usually the best option, even when you know the ultimate need is for food and medical supplies, for example. Cash allows charities to purchase exactly what is needed, often at a discount, and support local economies by buying from local businesses. 

–You should also be cautious of high-pressure appeals that urge immediate donations without providing detailed information about what the charity is really doing.  

The good news is that IECF is here for you! Whether you’ve established a donor-advised or other type of fund at IECF, contributed to an existing fund, or are considering getting involved, our team is happy to serve as a sounding board.  

Our team can help you sort through the many options for giving to crisis relief to help ensure that your dollars make a difference. We’ll help protect your gift from fraud, help you maximize your tax benefits, strive to avoid duplication of relief efforts, and help your donations both meet immediate needs and fuel long-term recovery.  

We look forward to hearing from you!  

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team any time, and stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at IECF is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

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Even bigger than that, though, is the opportunity to educate your kids, starting at an early age, about charities and how every dollar can make a difference.

Here are a few pointers: 

Be intentional. Teaching children the value of charitable giving requires intentional strategies that blend financial education with empathy-building experiences. By including philanthropy as a regular part of your family routines and traditions, you can help your kids understand wealth as a tool for positive impact rather than just personal gain. Over time, you’ll see that this approach fosters both financial literacy and compassion for others. 

It starts with money–and more. It’s often helpful to start the conversation by talking about money management and community needs, side by side. For example, you can explain how $100 might feed a family for a week, or how $1,000 could fund educational supplies for an entire classroom. You could even help your kids create a “giving budget” so they can practice ways to make their intentions visual and concrete. If you have established a donor-advised fund or other type of fund at IECF, log in to your account and show your kids how it works.   

Offer choices. Most kids don’t like to be told what to do (!), so it’s important to empower children by showing them how to research and pick causes that are aligned with their interests. IECF’s website is a great place to start. This is where kids can see the big picture of how charitable giving connects to our region’s quality of life, as well as learn about IECF’s priority initiatives and the nonprofits doing important work on the ground every day.  

Get out and about. Children (and adults) learn by doing, so try to find opportunities for hands-on involvement. You and your kids could volunteer together at food banks, organize neighborhood donation drives, or create handmade items for those in need. IECF is always happy to offer resources that will help you and your family find volunteer opportunities that are a good fit for your areas of interest and the ages of your children.  

As always, IECF is happy to be your sounding board as you get your family involved in charitable giving. We are honored to work with all generations of community-minded people! The future of our region depends on it, and we are here to help. 

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team any time, and stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at IECF is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

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Redlands Accelerate Neighborhood Climate Action Redlands (Redlands ANCA) wants to help build climate-resilient communities—one neighborhood at a time. Thanks to a recent grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) through the League of California Community Foundations Wildfire Resilience Fund, the all-volunteer organization is making huge strides on that front.

“The timing of the grant was fantastic because as an organization, we had been talking for some time about working with our most vulnerable communities and building climate resilience,” said Linda Hamilton, Executive Director of ANCA Redlands. “We were able to hire Bryan Miranda, a former fellow of The California Climate Action Corps, who helped create a program that provided information on, among other things, the dangers of wildfire smoke.”

More than 1,600 households received small packets of information and N95 masks, while several other households received air purifiers. 

“The grant really allowed us to embark on this mass outreach to everyone,” Hamilton said. “It’s interesting what we found out because a lot of people are very concerned about air quality, not just from wildfires but generally speaking.”

ANCA Redlands has grown considerably since its inception several years ago.

Concerned about the ever-accelerating climate change and the huge impact local communities experience, the nonprofit was founded in 2022 as a chapter of a broader, national ANCA organization based in Denver, Colorado. Helping communities prepare for severe climate impacts is key.

To that end, helping reduce carbon emissions that cause the warming factors into its mission as does environmental justice.

ANCA also used several big events as a way to survey more people in the area. One outing was the city’s holiday block party on the north side.

“We reached more than a 100 people there,” Hamilton said. “The surveys we used were pretty in-depth in terms of how people were experiencing the various impacts of climate change, including the poor air quality from wildfires. And so, now, we have a real understanding now of what people are most concerned about.”

Another thing that sprang from these efforts is the group Northside Alliance, which Hamilton describes as a variety of organizations and individuals who reside on the north side who are concerned about the future and well-being of the community.

“We’re thrilled that we have this strong group, right off the bat, to work with and a really great strategy for moving forward with new resources,” Hamilton said. “We’re going to start with planting trees there to increase the tree canopy in terms of dealing with heat and air quality.”

On the horizon will be more in-depth focus groups and building even greater trust in more disadvantaged communities. Those interested in volunteer opportunities and a list of the organization’s monthly gatherings can visit the non-profit’s website.

In the meantime, Hamilton points out the benefits of outreach.

“I remember we were out talking to people and we had told them that we really wanted to help build more climate resilience,” she said. “So, we asked them what they thought we should be doing. And one woman said, ‘Keep doing just what you’re doing. Get us information because we need it.’”

“That really gave us some insight into how to move forward,” she added.

Learn more at redlands-anca.hub.arcgis.com

This article originally appeared in the Press-Enterprise, March 2025.

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Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center ended 2024 on a high note with one of its highest adoption numbers ever. The milestone sets the tone for 2025, which finds the center broadening its reach through its various services and events.

“We’re happy that 2024 gave us highest number of pets adopted ever after a few years of a decline,” said Molly Shannon, Marketing and Communications Manager for Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center. “It was around 2,200 adoptions, so we’re excited to keep the momentum going into 2025.”

Shannon is quick to note, however, that while an uptick in adoptions is a positive thing, other challenges remain.

“The reverse side of that is that there’s still so many pets and owners of pets that need assistance,” she said. “In many ways, 2024 has been a year of applications for owner surrenders upwards of like 30 a day. And while it’s great to have the 2,000-plus pets adopted, the pet overpopulation crisis is one that’s facing the entire nation.”

The Center hopes to thwart that in 2025, especially after coming off of a recent grant it received from Inland Empire Community Foundation through the Riverside County ARPA Fund, which will aid in its ongoing efforts.

“One way that people can help is, obviously, adopt, but I get that not everybody is ready to adopt or can,” Shannon added. “We also encourage our supporters to foster because even if they foster for one or two nights or a week, it doesn’t have to be a super long-term commitment. 

“Even that makes a difference,” she added. “It opens up kennel space at our organization, which means we can take in another pet. We’ve really amped up our foster program in 2024.”

The foster process stands out, in fact. One unique component offered is the Foster to Adopt program (FTA), which allows individuals who are unsure or not fully able to commit to adoption some time to learn more about a potential pet.

To that end, all dogs and cats more than a year old are spayed/neutered. Pets in the FTA program are eligible for a three-day or a two-week trial.

“In 2025, we will really put an emphasis on growing the foster team,” Shannon said. “When you foster for the adoption center, we provide all the materials and supplies. It’s not a big commitment for a person. They just provide love and attention and a safe space, and we give them all the supplies and vaccines that are required.

It’s one of many unique components running through the nonprofit, beginning with its history. 

More than 120 years ago, in 1897, The Riverside Humane Society (RHS) was formed in an effort to prevent cruelty to children and animals. The first shelter, which was dedicated in 1917, housed dogs, cats, horses, cows, birds, chickens, and other animals. In the 1950s, RHS offered full animal control services, including licensing, impounding stray animals, owner turn-ins, and investigating animal cruelty and aggressive-animal reports. 

The County of Riverside Department of Animal Services took over all animal control responsibilities in the mid-1990s, and after some time known as the Riverside Humane Society Pet Adoption Center, by 2010, with a newly constructed building in place, the organization’s name officially changed to the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center.

Its services now run the gamut of everything from pet loss support groups and a pet assistance food program to spay/neutering procedures, vaccinations, behavior training, and so much more.

In the meantime, mark your calendars for April 26, 2025. That’s when the nonprofit’s “Walk with the Animals” event takes place. It’s the Center’s largest annual fundraiser and assists greatly with making life-changing impacts on pets.

And their people.

Learn more at petsadoption.org.

This article originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, January 2025

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For decades,

“I’m excited that we can help people as it relates to housing and security,” Thornton said. “In our affiliate, we’re building one to two houses a year for low-income families. 

“We also help stabilize people who are in unsafe situations and overcrowded situations,” he added, “so maybe the kids can now have a home they can go to, and they can make friends in their neighborhood, and the parents don’t have to think about their rent going up another year and then having to move again.”

The nonprofit, ecumenical Christian ministry was founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller. Through the years, it stood out for deeply addressing the issues of poor housing conditions. It’s founding conviction was clear: “That every man, woman and child should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live.”

“We come in and find the neediest families, then try to help them have a fresh start in life and a chance at a normalized life,” Thornton said. 

Recently, HFHCV received a grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) through the Riverside County ARPA Fund, which Thornton says has been directed to address housing repair for those in need.

“People call us weekly with requests for needed repairs, and when we go into a home, it’s not just one repair; it’s between three and five repairs, and we do them on our own,” Thornton said. “It’s at no cost to the senior citizen and/or the young families, who may be low-income.”

He offers a recent example of a household with a broken refrigerator that wasn’t functioning because of a blown-out breaker.

“We also find out that their food has spoiled and the refrigerator isn’t what they thought,” he said. “Next thing we find out it’s their electrical panel that’s blowing breakers because it’s so antiquated or unsafe. Then we’re able to repair that. Sometimes it’s a leaky faucet in the bathroom, and then they’ve been sort of fixing that faucet because they have no money. Through the IECF grant, we’re able to help a lot of people with these kinds of repairs.”

Most noteworthy, perhaps, about the organization is that the nonprofit constructs new homes with the support of community partners, donors, and volunteers. Additionally, its homeownership program assists qualified homebuyers at no profit. Thornton said affordable loans streamline the process.

To be sure, HFHCV is known for its intrepid volunteers and supporters, too. Another valuable local extension of the nonprofit can be found via the ReStore thrift store, which HFHCV runs on Dinah Shore Drive in Palm Desert. All proceeds from sales support the nonprofit’s mission.

Families who meet the application criteria are welcome to apply. A selection committee decides on a future homeowner based on the level of need, a willingness to become partners in the program, and the ability to repay the no-interest loan.

Another standout component of the nonprofit is “A Brush with Kindness,” a unique program in which volunteers offer home restoration and repair for various homeowners. These are typically senior citizens or disabled residents who fall into the low-income bracket or have other factors that prevent them from maintaining their homes.

“Everybody needs housing,” Thornton said. “We try to advocate for people, but we also work with our local representatives to help provide people with more funding. We’re committed to making a difference.”

Learn more at inlandsocaluw.org.

This article originally appeared in the Desert Sun, November 2024

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