Father Joe Opens New Village in Indio
"One-stop-shopping" Approach to Homeless Rehabilitation Arrives in Coachella Valley

   SAN DIEGO — Martha’s Village & Kitchen, 83-791 Date Avenue in Indio, a sister agency to St. Vincent de Paul Village, will dedicate and hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of its new home on Friday, Jan. 26, at 1:30 p.m.

   The new facility, which officially begins resident intake on Monday, Jan. 29, will allow the 10 year-old agency to expand its services to include transitional living for 120 families and single adults, a career and education center, a medical clinic and a children’s services program. Martha’s will continue its meal service, offering hot meals every day to as many as 300 area residents.

   Martha’s was introduced to the Indio community in 1990, when Gloria Gomez and Claudia Castorena co-founded the outreach, which – at that time – consisted only of a weekly meal to underserved members of the community. Over the next seven years, Gomez and Castorena expanded Martha’s programs to include distribution of clothes, emergency shelter vouchers and health care referrals for children.

   Then in 1998, the agency sought out St. Vincent de Paul Village in San Diego, a member of a multi-state network of homeless rehabilitation centers that partnered with Martha’s, bringing expansion and program development assistance.

   The results of the partnership are the new $8 million facility and the introduction of a unique philosophy of homeless rehabilitation, known as the Continuum of Care, which provides a collection of comprehensive services all on one site. This "one-stop-shopping" approach to rehabilitative care allows clients easier access to programs and services, making the road to self-sufficiency much smoother.

   Village President Father Joe Carroll is positive the new facility will improve the quality and breadth of care for the area’s needy.

   "St. Vincent’s, our flagship operation in San Diego, has been in the community for 13 years," he says. "During that time, thousands of our less fortunate neighbors have accessed our services and enacted lasting, positive change in their lives. This new facility will offer the same attributes to the Indio community."

   Father Joe will host the dedication and ribbon cutting. Other guests include Bishop Gerald Barnes, Indio Chamber of Commerce President Ron Hare and donors Dan and LeAnne Dunlap and Tom and Rita Martin.

   For more information on the dedication and ribbon cutting, please call
(760) 347-4741 ext. 306.

# # #