Volunteers prep building for homeless cooling center
Volunteers with Well in the Desert were cleaning up a building Tuesday that will be used a cooling center for the homeless in Palm Springs. This comes almost a week after the city gave its approval on a location. News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2’s Jeremy Chen was at the facility learning how it will offer much more than relief from the heat.
The need for homeless assistance in the west valley is even greater now that Roy’s Homeless Resource Center closed its doors in early June.
The building is located on Calle Encilia and the non-profit was approved for a permit by the Palm Springs City Council in a 3-2 last Wednesday.
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KESQ News Channel 3’s and CBS Local 2’s Jeremy Chen spoke with volunteers and Councilman Geoff Kors on the impact the facility will have coming in a full story at 6 on KESQ and 6:30 on CBS Local 2.
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Volunteers were tidying up the facility on Tuesday morning where the Well in the Desert will be establishing their cool centers in Palm Springs for the homeless. They said they’ll be able to provide air conditioning and services for those who need it.
“As you can see, this door that’s open is where people enter, which is in the back of the building and they’ll come into this room which is going to have the round tables and chairs that people sit at,” said Arlene Rosenthal with Well in the Desert.
The facility is located on Calle Encilia in Downtown Palm Springs and it’s able to fit 35 people in two rooms. There will be bathrooms and shower facilities as well as access to services the nonprofit provides, such as hot meals.
Rosenthal added, “[The homeless] get themselves together, they get comfortable, they get cool, they get clean, and they’re ready to go out, they have lives too.”
The Palm Springs City Council approved a permit for the facility last Wednesday in a 3 to 2 vote. Councilman Geoff Kors said the city is looking to add its own services to the facility.
“The city is hopefully going to help fund a case manager, an employment specialist here, which we did at Roy’s which resulted in over 100 people being housed — 55 getting jobs,” Councilman Kors said.
A Well in the Desert volunteer said the facility will be a crucial lifeline for the homeless — as he knows what it’s like to be out in the streets in the heat.
According to Well in the Desert Administrator Bryan Johnson, “Having something right in the mix where it is — is going to be a beautiful thing. We’re going to save lives, and that’s what we need to focus on is the saving of the lives.”
The city will have a six-month review to see how the facility is doing. The staff we spoke to believes they will be up to the task.
Officials with the Well in the Desert said they plan on opening their cool center next Monday at 7 a.m. for those who need it.
