Operation SafeHouse

Thank you to Ian Bailey from Clean Harbors Environmental Services for their donation of swag and clothing for our youth. We are so excited to partner with Ian and his team, as Clean Harbors is committed to safety for their employees, their customers, their families, the community and the environment. We look forward to seeing them again soon!

To assist youth who come through our emergency shelter programs, Stephanie Villalobos and her team from the Arrowheart Foundation, which is part of Arrowhead Credit Union dropped off these wonderful backpacks that were stuffed with school supplies. The Arrowheart Foundation has helped our youth with school supplies on an annual basis for many years. We are so grateful to have their friendship.

Summertime is in full swing. Bubbles, Water Guns and Sidewalk Chalk. It is a great way to cool off and exert some energy.

About a year ago we began a capital campaign to "Raise the Roof" for our Main Street Program. We were unable to raise enough funds through private foundations and donations to fund the entire $137,000 project. That is where HomeAid of the Inland Empire came in, they along with Tilden-Coil are assisting us in our rehabilitation.

Phase 1, is a $37,000 project that includes; the repair of our upper walkways with new joists, planking, new decking and one set of concrete stairs being replaced. Yesterday, HomeAid was presented with a check from their fundraiser with Quick Quack Car Wash, which they will use to assist with the project. Thank you to Matt Friedlander, HomeAid and Tilden-Coil who have been so great to work with.

When it is hot outside, like it is supposed to be this week, we keep the kids busy inside. Coloring, making bracelets or necklaces or playing games can provide hours of entertainment and be therapeutic. We are always looking for volunteers during the summer who might want to share their talents with our kids. Please contact Dana Darby at [email protected] for more information.

One of the really great things our Anti-Human Trafficking Program does is connect with the youth that we work with. Balancing the pain of their past with the hope of a brighter future is challenging, but together they forge a path to healing and empowerment. Our team took one of our clients to the beach for their very first look at the ocean. They were quite overcome with emotion when they felt the ocean spray over their face. Let's continue to support and uplift these brave individuals, acknowledging their resilience and fostering a community where they can thrive.

We are always happy to share information on services available to the Coachella Valley. Congratulations to the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission on their new expansion project and opening. If you can, please attend and show your support for all that they do for the homeless in the valley.

We are proud to announce a new date for the groundbreaking ceremony for our upcoming Women's and Children's Shelter expansion, a pivotal milestone in our commitment to serving vulnerable populations in the Coachella Valley. The ceremony will now take place on Thursday, July 11, 2024, at 9:00 AM at the site of the new shelter, located at 47470 Van Buren St. in Indio.

The $2.5 million Women's and Children's Shelter expansion is an initiative born out of compassion and a desire to provide a safe haven for women and children facing homelessness and adversity. This expansion will add an additional 60 beds to the current shelter, as well as a kitchen, laundry facilities, common areas, and playground. It will not only offer shelter, but also comprehensive support services aimed at empowering women and aiding children in overcoming the challenges they face.

To learn more about the Rescue Mission or to donate, visit https://www.cvrm.org/ways-to-give/

Thank you to the Riverside County Law Alliance for their very generous donation to assist our youth. The Law Alliance has partnered with us to provide services for over 30 years. We are so grateful for their friendship.

Yesterday we attended the Inland Empire Community Collaborative Impact through Unity Special Events Workshop and Partner Recognition Breakfast. It was a lovely event that provided insight from an experienced panel including; Dr. Ciriaco "Cid" Pinedo, our good friend Jennifer O'Farrell, Malek Bendelhoum, and Susan Gomez. We learned a lot about fundraising and met some inspirational leaders from other non-profits in our community. Thank you to IECC for including us.

Thank you so much to our friends at Orkin who gave up a Saturday to come and paint our recreational room and bathroom. They also have continued to come over and assist us with electrical problems and other small jobs since we do not have a handyman. We appreciate their dedication to our agency and the youth that we serve.

We are very excited to have been chosen by Store Manager, Jamar Hicks and Assistant Store Manager, Dan Thomas to receive a donation from Stater Bros. Charities in commemoration of their grand reopening of their Stater Bros. Market in Rubidoux. Our partnership with Stater Bros. Charities goes back to our beginnings in 1990. We are so happy to receive these bonus funds in addition to our grant award in the amount of $2,500.00. Stater Bros. is so involved with our community and we appreciate the recognition.

We were very excited to have Miss Riverside USA tour our facility and meet our clients and staff. We look forward to working with her during the remainder of her term and beyond. Thank you for coming by Joan!

We were so honored to be a part of the Salute to Service Awards with Soroptimist International of Riverside. As part of their Investing in Dreams program we heard some wonderful stories of success from some very inspiring young ladies. We also were able to honor one of our long-term volunteers through their Raincross Service Award. Ms. T. has been one of our biggest supporters for over five years through Vantage Point Church and on her own. We love working with her and them. Also honored for over fifteen years of volunteering in our community with the Gold Key Award was Yoko Boucher. We received an awesome surprise of a donation as well! Thank you to Melanie McKee, Tillie Soliz and the rest of the ladies for inviting us and including us.

In our continuing efforts to create new learning opportunities for our staff, we welcomed Wendy McEuwen from Riverside Community Hospital who provided us with the Stop the Bleed training. Everyone was very excited to learn new and innovative ways to save a life.

SafeHouse has partnered with the Riverside Women's Club for years. Their members have generously donated and volunteered for us and with us at other events. Recently our Fund Development Director, Julie Hale presented to the ladies at their District Conference where she was presented with a check for our shelter youth. They surprised us again on Friday with donated items from our wish list and gift cards from all the Riverside Chapters. Dana Darby our Assistant Director was more than happy to pick up and transport their donations.

Thank you to Lois Bailey, Riverside Women's Club President, Georgia Anders-Kutch, Margaret Colvin, All District Members who supported and Alison Eccleston, De Anza District President for your continued support and giving spirit!

If you would like to tour or have us come and present our programs, please reach out to Julie Hale at [email protected] or Dana Darby at [email protected]

SafeHouse is so pleased to partner with the Cardenas Markets Foundation. They provide monetary and in-kind support to many non-profits in Riverside and San Bernardino County that serve youth and families. Jessica Diaz presented us with a check in the amount of $500 as part of their Lent Donation, which will be used to purchase food for the youth in our Riverside shelter. Thank you so much to Heritage Grocers and Cardenas Market Foundation!

This past weekend our Director of Youth Services, Shawn Johnson and our Assistant Director of Youth Services, Dana Darby were invited to present information on SafeHouse and its programs to the Moreno Hills SDA Church in Moreno Valley. The congregation were eager to learn about our services and asked how they could help. We are always so thankful for our community partnerships. If you would like us to present to your service club, school or church, please reach out to Julie Hale at [email protected] or Dana Darby at [email protected]

We would like to thank Riverside County District Attorney Michael A. Hestrin and his staff at the Riverside County District Attorney's office for awarding Operation SafeHouse $20,000 in Asset Forfeiture Program Grant funding. These funds will be used to provide Substance Abuse Education in our group counseling program in Riverside.

Sometimes it is nice to just sit outside in the sunshine and reflect on the day. Today was a music and game day outside in the sunshine!

We would like to thank the Notre Dame Peer Ministry at Notre Dame High School for working so hard to gather items for us. Their campaign brought in food, hygiene products, paper goods and lots of smiles from us! We are grateful for the support.

SafeHouse is very excited to announce that we have been chosen to be one of six benefiting charities for Fashion Week El Paseo. We are featured on opening night and will be holding an exclusive Breakfast at Tiffany's cocktail event prior to the fashion show, featuring food and specialty bar by Trio, entertainment by Keisha D and a signature dessert by Cake and Cakes.

The tickets are selling out fast! You do not want to miss out on the fun and excitement of one of the desert's signature events. You must purchase your tickets through SafeHouse in order to enter the Breakfast at Tiffany's cocktail event. Don't hesitate, get your tickets now. Julie Hale, [email protected] or 951-351-4418 ext. 112

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. We work year-round providing Human Trafficking education to the community and our hope is that you will join us in shining a light on this crucial issue in our county by educating your family, peers and young people about the dangers of trafficking and online predators.

Anyone can be a victim, however, youth are even more susceptible to becoming victims, especially those who are living on the streets. That is why SafeHouse and their partners in the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force work so hard to provide information on how to identify, report and stop trafficking throughout our county.

As co-founders of the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, SafeHouse has always had an interest in youth who are potential victims or current victims of trafficking. We are so excited to partner with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, Rebirth Homes, Barbara Sinatra Children's Center and REACH to hold our first community panel of the year at our SafeHouse of the Desert Campus on Thursday, January 29th, 2024 from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn how to identify, report and prevent human trafficking. If you are interested, please reach out to Kiany Zaldivar at [email protected] to confirm your seat at the table.

We wish you a Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you all in the upcoming year!

From all of us at SafeHouse to you. Thank you for all of your support this year. We wish you all the best this holiday season and a Happy New Year!

Our friends at Vantage Point Church blessed us once again this year with Christmas presents for each and every one of our Main Street Transitional Living Program youth and for the youth at our center in Riverside. They also provided an early Christmas dinner, played games and sang carols with our youth and staff. Oh what fun it was! Thank you so much and Merry Christmas to you all.

https://conta.cc/3TTpF07

SafeHouse Wishes You A Happy Holiday Season Newsletter       Hello, As the year comes to end, we wanted to take time to thank each and every one of you for your continued support. Your monetary and in-kind donations, volunteerism and engagement

Thank you to Burger Point owner Ash Mohammed and his wonderful staff for donating lunch to our youth at the center. What a tasty treat! It was appreciated by all of us.

We are so grateful for our community partners who make the holidays special for our youth. The ladies from Orkin Pest Control dropped in to gift us with cleaning supplies, towels, games, hygiene items, kitchen needs, books and art supplies for our kids. All of it will be put to good use. Thank you so much!

With the holidays in full swing we were grateful to have the UCR Women's Softball Team once again on Friday for a Christmas Party. The girls came together and decorated, did some arts and crafts, sang Christmas Carols and ate lots of food. Our kids really enjoyed the interaction and we look forward to their next visit in the near future.