By Denise Ortuno Neil
It’s Friday night in the Coachella Valley, and while most people are getting ready for a weekend of entertainment and relaxation, the diligent souls of Warriors 4 Christ are just starting their rounds across the valley to help those in need.
I met them in Coachella at the Am/Pm off of 48th Ave, a meeting place for them as they continue their night’s mission. They had started earlier in the evening, with the first stop being in Mecca and then they work their way west through the valley to the cities of Coachella, Indio, Thousand Palms and Cathedral City. They travel to places where they know the homeless will be, under bridges and special camps. They deliver food, water, clothing and hygiene packs.
It was a congregation of a half dozen cars or so, and about 20 to 25 volunteers (sometimes they have up to 40) including children ready and willing to help the less fortunate, and spread the word of God.
The group is led by Pastor Joel Gonzalez, a man who knows first-hand the perils of being homeless, enduring it himself for many years.
He had hit hard times back in 2001, finding himself living under a bridge off Golf Center Pkwy. He struggled with substance abuse and financial hardship, but eventually became sober when he found God. He knew he needed to create a new life for himself and wanted to give back to the community, to share his faith with people who are starving, both spiritually and nutritionally. He found his calling in every sense of the word and went to Bible School and became a pastor.
He started Warriors 4 Christ about 4years ago, and along with his wife Monique, they armed themselves with a bible, water, and sandwiches and hit the streets to lend a hand to those who needed it the most.
They are a grass roots non-profit organization and have grown since their initial inception helping over 200 people a week. The group is solely funded by private donations and their own money, and are affiliated with CV River of Life Church and by Pastor Jeremy Estrada who usually joins them on their weekly missions. They have received donations from local businesses including, Dollar Heaven, Electric Car Distributors, Billy Q’s Pizza and CBS 2 News. Some of the volunteers are challenged by their own financial set-backs, requiring the aid of food stamps to put food on the table. But what is remarkable is that despite their own strife, they still give of their own supplies, guided by their faith in God.
After meeting Pastor Joel, we left the Am/Pm and caravanned to the next stop. We went to visit Pastor Joel’s longtime friend, Joaquin Escobar Ontivaros, who literally lives in a boat in the middle of the desert. It is a site to see. Ontivaros has an indelible significance to Pastor Joel, as Ontivaros helped him when he was at a very low point in his life. Pastor Joel visits him throughout the week, bringing him food, water and ministering through the bible.
There are actually two boats on the property, beached on the sand amidst old tires and other debris, not far from the Indio canal. The owner of the land has given permission to Ontivaros to live there; along with his friend Jose Avila and two dogs. For them, it is home.
An American flag waves proudly off one of the boats, a reminder of how much love they have for this country. When the food was given to Ontivaros, Pastor Joel set his sights on the night’s sermon as the volunteers gathered in a circle. After the service, they sang a song and then a few of the volunteers read passages from the bible that they wanted to share. Everything was translated in Spanish for those who needed guidance through the language barrier.
Dusk soon turned into night, and all that was left were the beams of light from our flashlights. It was inspiring to see the dedication of these people, who traverse into night and walk in the middle of the desert to help…just to help and talk about God. They never complain about the heat, the sweat or the sand in their shoes. As Jon Wright said, who is a big part of Warriors 4 Christ helping them with community relations, “When you go home tonight, you will be that much more grateful for what you have,” and he was right.
We parted ways after leaving the home of Ontivaros. For me, the night’s mission was complete, but the Warriors still had work to do. Their next stop was an encampment just up the street, eager and hungry people awaited them, hungry for food, and hungry for spirituality.
The goal of Warriors 4 Christ is to change the social stigma that plagues the homeless. Pastor Joel was clear to point out that they are not all drug addicts and degenerates. A great number of them are just out of work, looking for a way to get back on track. There are many who just live in their cars. It’s scary to realize, but many people are just a paycheck away from being homeless, or as Wright calls it “Houseless”.
The organization looks to the future, and has plans to purchase a van to help transport the “Houseless” to job interviews, making it easier for them to move forward in their lives. They also want to spread their work to other desert cities including Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Yucca Valley and even all the way up to Bakersfield, as Pastor Joel explained, “These cities neglect that they have a problem.”
But with their bibles in hand which they carry like swords, Warriors 4 Christ will take on these problems head on, providing the less fortunate with food, water, friendship and most importantly to them, the word of God.
To donate and for more information, contact Pastor Joel at, gonzalezmonique45@yahoo.com .
