Local charities looking forward to Giving Tuesday

Charities across the Coachella Valley are looking forward to major donations for Giving Tuesday.

Music filled the air Monday at the Spa Casino in Palm Springs for the 5th annual Desert Jam Session, which raised money for Well in the Desert.

“We are so excited it has proven to grow each year it’s bigger and more exciting and we raise more money to feed people,” said Darci Daniels, vice president of Well in the Desert.
Daniels said the organization hoped to raise about $30,000 from this event which is enough to keep Well in the Desert helping homeless and low income folks for about a month.

The concert is a kick-off to the holiday donation season, which arguably starts with Giving Tuesday.

“I think it’s good to have it, because it reminds people and people are so busy they forget so who have one day and people go ‘Oh, my favorite charity is Well in the Desert, time to do my pledge now,'” said Arlene Rosenthal, president of Well in the Desert.Facebook and the Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation are teaming up to get charities get more on Giving Tuesday.

The social media platform will be matching up to $2 million of funds raised on Facebook for American nonprofits. The site is also is also waiving its fees for donations.
For the kittens like Thelma and Louise, it’s a purrfect opportunity for folks to donate to Kittyland, a non-profit cat rescue and sanctuary where they have plenty of other mouths to feed as well.

“We got two bottle babies in today, and two 6 week-old kittens today. They’re out in there foster homes so they won’t be ready for a while, but that happens all the time,” said Jeannette Patoiskai, assistant director for Kittyland.

Kittyland hopes to raise enough money this holiday season to make major improvements to their shelter, located in Desert Hot Springs.“It’s an old shelter, nothing had really been done to it in 30 years and that’s one of the reasons we have to raise a lot of money for the renovations,” said Ann Woods, founder of Kittyland.

Organizers for nonprofits like Kittyland hope the help doesn’t stop on Giving Tuesday. Most charities are always looking for help from volunteers.

Here’s how to learn more about donation for Giving Tuesday on Facebook.

JOE GALLI IS ON FACEBOOK AND ON TWITTER @JOEGALLINEWS