By Madeline Zuckerman
PHOTOS COURTESY OF OLIVE CREST DESERT COMMUNITIES
Olive Crest Desert Communities, known for its dedication to preventing child abuse, to treating and educating at-risk children and to preserving the family “One Life at a Time®,” will hold its upcoming Community Day on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm at its comprehensive Olive Crest Child and Family Resource Center, located at 39830 Portola Avenue, Suite A, in Palm Desert, California. Olive Crest Desert Communities currently serves over 800 families and children annually within the Coachella Valley, aiming to bring strong families and ensure child safety.
The general public is invited for free to take advantage of the free services and resources that will be offered by the 22 local organizations participating in this highly anticipated indoor resource and information fair This event will offer families assistance with legal and child support services, a free vaccination clinic, emergency food and diapers, and much more. There will be a full slate of sensory activities for children in attendance, as well as toy and book giveaways, drawings for bicycles, and even an opportunity to meet Santa Claus!
“With 31.1% of Coachella Valley’s children living below the poverty line, the need for events like this monthly Olive Crest Community Day is clear,” said Tracy Fitzsimmons, Executive Director of Olive Crest Inland & Desert Communities.
Olive Crest will host this December event in partnership with the following leading nonprofits and agencies:
IEHP
SPARK
FIND FOOD BANK
DAP HEALTH
DPSS OUTREACH TEAM
MAMA’S HOUSE
RISE ABOVE DEFEAT
INLAND SOCAL UNITED WAY 211+
RIVERSIDE LEGAL AID
ALTURA CREDIT UNION
TOOLS FOR TOMORROW
THE BEHAVIOR LAB
AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION
DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES
KINDFUL RESTORATION
VOICES FOR CHILDREN
VISION Y CONPROMISO
RUHS-PH MOBILE IMMUNIZATIONS
RCOE – SCHOOL OF CAREER EDUCATION
UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY OF THE INLAND EMPIRE
RIVERSIDE SAN BERNARDINO INDIAN HEALTH CLINIC
RAP FOUNDATION/CALFRESH HELTHY LIVING
“We are pleased to work with these remarkable nonprofits and agencies who will be participating in this upcoming Community Day,” said Fitzsimmons. “We are excited about the magnifying impact this can have for families who are struggling during difficult times, and we see the collective impact this can have as a moral imperative to provide a ‘hand up’ to help distressed families.”
Olive Crest representatives and volunteers from the partnering groups will be on hand to greet attendees and provide on-site assistance with Cal-Fresh and Medi-Cal applications. Throughout the event, these volunteers will assist attendees with access to such resources as: Housing, Mental Health Counseling, Behavioral Health and Wellness, Counseling, Food, Financial and Legal Services, Employment Opportunities, Utility Assistance, etc.
“The creation of these monthly Community Days is the continued realization of a vision at our comprehensive Children and Family Resource Center,” Fitzsimmons added. “We are excited to hold these ongoing Community Day events.”
Community Day events for 2025 are scheduled for: January 22, 2025, February 26, 2025, March 26, 2025, April 23, 2025, May 28, 2025, and June 25, 2025 at the Olive Crest Children and Family Resource Center located at 39830 Portola Avenue, Suite A, in Palm Desert., California.
For additional information on these Community Day events or to be connected to the services, please call 760-341-8507.
ABOUT OLIVE CREST
Since 1973, Olive Crest has transformed the lives of over 200,000 children and their families. We were tirelessly to meet the individual needs of kids in crisis by providing safe homes, counseling, and education for both youth and parents. Our many innovative programs reflect our conviction that strengthening the family is one of the most powerful ways to help heal children. Our 98% stability rate is a testament to the lifelong commitment and unwavering compassion that the Olive Crest family maintains to the children and families we serve, even after they have graduated from our programs. Olive Crest serves 5,000 children and families each day throughout the Western United States.
