Well in the Desert’s New Fundraising Effort Helps Support Services For The Unprivileged
Palm Springs, CA — February 24, 2012 — During the entire first week of March, Coachella Valley residents and visitors are urged to eat for a cause by dining at the local participating restaurants of Dine Well in the Desert, the newest fundraising initiative from Well in the Desert, a local non-profit organization in Palm Springs that has provided food services and advocacy to the underprivileged for over sixteen years. Between Thursday, March 1st, and Wednesday, March 7th, 2012, people dining at Rio Azul Restaurant, Cafe Jasmine, and Azul Tapas Inspired Lounge and Patio in Palm Springs, and Piazza Trilussa Ristorante in Cathedral City, will be giving back to the community simply by enjoying a meal out on the town. A percentage of every sale made by these participating restaurants during the week will go to Well in the Desert.
As someone whose day job is working in the food and beverage industry, Sarah Romero, the event chair of Dine Well in the Desert, says she feels a responsibility to help feed those who do not have the resources to buy groceries, let alone eat out in a restaurant. It was the stories of Bruno Serato of Anaheim White House Restaurant fame, who feeds needy children through the Anaheim Boys and Girls Club, and Pizza Fusion restaurant in Colorado, whose employment program gives former homeless a new start, that influenced Romero to join the board of directors of Well in the Desert and suggest Dine Well in the Desert. “The restaurant business is how I and many others are fortunate enough to make our livelihood,” she shares. “It enables us to put food on our tables and roofs over our heads. It just makes sense to contribute some of the profits made by feeding people to feed others who, for whatever circumstances, can’t do it on their own.”
Well in the Desert serves families, seniors, disabled, homebound, hospice patients, and individuals in the Coachella Valley. Their services include: providing hot meals six days a week from the First Baptist Church, The Church of St. Paul’s in the Desert, Our Lady of Solitude, and Our Lady of Guadalupe (all in Palm Springs), and in Sunrise Park on Sundays; food distribution on Saturdays; sack lunch distribution daily; food deliveries to the homebound; and major holiday meals. These foods help feed over 2,000 people monthly and many times help individuals not to have to choose between paying for food and paying for rent. Daily referral services from mail and phone service to re-entry into jobs, living quarters, and much needed personal support for those who are in very difficult situations are also an integral part of their repertoire.
People are encouraged to dine at Dine Well in the Desert’s participating restaurants when looking for a place to eat between Thursday, March 1st, and Wednesday, March 7th. Event sponsors are KIX Hot Country 92.1 FM, the newest country station in the Palm Springs area, and Talk 105.3 FM in the High Desert. One-time donations to this fundraiser have been made by Cheeky’s and Bongo Johnny’s Patio Bar and Grille in Palm Springs. Additional information, including links to participating restaurants’ websites for locations, hours, and menus, can be found at http://DineWellintheDesert.com.
Well in the Desert
Well in the Desert, a 501(c)(3) organization, has provided daily hot meals, emergency food assistance, weekly supplemental food distribution, and access to community services to those affected by poverty throughout the west end of the Coachella Valley for over 16 years. The Well’s mission fuels programs for poverty prevention, direct services for poverty intervention, and organized efforts to advocate for the poor. For more information, visit http://WellintheDesert.org.
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Sarah Romero
Chair/Director
Dine Well in the Desert
ph: (760) 485-4321
f: (512) 597-0202
Sarah Romero 