Desert Healthcare District & Foundation awards nearly $677,000 in grants to five Coachella Valley nonprofits

Martha’s Village & Kitchen and the Dr. Reynaldo J. Carreon Foundation were two of the five valley nonprofits awarded grants.

Two Indio-based nonprofits are among five Coachella Valley organizations that will share nearly $677,000 in grant funding approved last week by the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation.

The awards, totaling $676,867, will support a range of local health programs, including homeless recuperative care, healthcare scholarships, telehealth expansion, air quality monitoring, and low vision rehabilitation services.

Martha’s Village & Kitchen received $167,015 to support valley-wide homeless recuperative housing and care for individuals transitioning out of hospital stays. Each year, an estimated 2,400 to 2,500 unhoused individuals are discharged from area hospitals, many returning to unsafe environments. The grant aims to reduce what the organization describes as the “hospital – street – hospital” cycle.

The Dr. Reynaldo J. Carreon Foundation was awarded $143,500 to fund scholarships for 25 upper-level or postgraduate students pursuing healthcare careers, including mental health fields. The grant supports the District’s goal of increasing the number of primary care, specialty care, and behavioral health professionals in the region.

The largest award among the five grants, $297,669, went to Alianza Coachella Valley to fund air filter intervention and respiratory evaluations for 50 households near the Salton Sea.

The funds will support implementation of the AIRE Initiative through equipment purchases, a data platform, and partial salaries for staff and Loma Linda University research personnel.

Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest received $23,433 to fund its Access Without Delay program, aimed at expanding telehealth services in the Coachella Valley.

The Braille Institute received $45,000 to strengthen low vision rehabilitation and vision loss support groups through telehealth services. The grant funds partial salaries for five low vision service personnel and supports a model designed to remove barriers to care for older, low-income, and Spanish-speaking populations.

“These awards represent the breadth of support the District provides to improve health access and outcomes across the Coachella Valley,” said Interim CEO Donna Craig. “Our May grantees demonstrated tremendous potential to enhance life for our residents, and we are proud to be a partner and resource for them.”