A Palm Springs resident is touching the lives of dozens of folks here in the Coachella Valley, according to local volunteers. Doug Oostdyk serves at dozens of organizations in the desert, including being a long-time volunteer for ‘The Feeding Program’ at the United Methodist Church of Palm Springs. “It’s very heartwarming,” said Oostdyk. “It’s wonderful

An estimated 10,000 people in the Coachella Valley have Parkinson’s disease. This past year, News Channel 3’s John White has been serving on the board of the “Parkinson’s Resource Organization” and is now the co-chair. He introduces us to Jo Rosen, founder of Parkinson’s Resource Organization and a “Neighborhood Hero” who’s been making a difference

Variety Children’s Charity of the Desert gave away 300 bikes at its annual giveaway event on Sunday inside Acrisure Arena. The recipients were fourth-grade students from around the Coachella Valley nominated by their school teachers. They were chosen for having good school work habits while overcoming challenges and disadvantages, yet still being helpful and caring

Longtime Agua Caliente employee Roy Agriam was given $10,000 on Wednesday to celebrate his 30 years of work at the casino.  Agriam started his career there as a supervisor at the buffet in 1993 and worked his way up to a sous chef, a position he’s had since 2010.  “You know, work is work, you

Since Tropical Storm Hilary hit the Coachella Valley, it’s been all hands on deck getting things cleaned up. For one Cathedral City neighborhood, people have come out day after day to help however they can. Dozens of homes from the Panorama neighborhood in Cathedral City were damaged by the storm. Residents were in disbelief that

A group of women part of a group called Stitches for Kids in Indio sew quilts for children in the Coachella Valley who are going through a hard time. The group is coming up on its 20th year anniversary of providing these warm quilts to local children. Natalie Shonerd has been part of the group

As the war in Ukraine ravages on, a local Palm Springs resident is packing his bags and heading to Ukraine for humanitarian work. Nicholas Campell of Palm Springs will be on a plane in a few days to spend two months helping people in Ukraine. Campbell said, “Being of service to your fellow man is

Daniel Arredondo, a custodian at Amistad High School in Indio, is in the running for the Tennant Custodians are Key award. The award recognizes the work of K-12 custodians across the United States. Out of 1,400 nominees, Arredondo is now one of 12 finalists. The grand prize winner, who will be chosen in May, will

CASA Volunteers are court-appointed special advocates who help children going through the court system. In this month’s Neighborhood Heroes segment, News Channel 3’s Crystal Jimenez spoke with one volunteer about the impact someone in her position can make on a child going through a tough time. News Channel 3 wants to celebrate these neighborhood heroes. Tell us

A local woman has dedicated her retirement to volunteering at several organizations across the Coachella Valley. Nancy Swanlund is a volunteer at Desert Regional Medical Center (DRMC), and the Hanson House in Palm Springs, as well as being part of the board of three different non-profits and churches. Most of her time is spent between

Two Indio teens are empowering children in the foster care system through a youth club they founded. Brianna Fabian and Natalie Fabian founded GFWC HOPE, under the Women’s Club of Indio, in October 2020. Then in May 2021, the club received its official charter. Brianna and Natalie Fabian, founders of GFWC HOPE The club has

With over 18 years since Barbara Ayala-Eves started volunteering at Desert Regional Medical Center (DRMC), she’s logged over 20,000 volunteer hours to help bring joy to the hospital. Ayala-Eves is a familiar face to those who work at the hospital. Her ties involve her being born there when DRMC used to be a military hospital

A group of PGA West residents banded together to bring some holiday cheer to the family of an Indio woman who recently lost her daughter. Alejandra Lomeli works as a food server at a restaurant at PGA West. Catherine Foss who is a member of a bunco group within the PGA West community said when

A custodian from Central Elementary School in Banning is being praised for his quick thinking after saving a student from choking during lunch. Jack Sanchez has worked at the school for 16 years as a custodian. While his job has many duties, one he didn’t expect was to play a part in helping a student

Clean-up efforts continue in Florida, after Hurricane Ian tore through the state. A La Quinta resident is now in Florida, helping to pick up the pieces from the destruction left by Hurricane Ian. Last week, News Channel 3 spoke with Sarah Brouse as she was on standby. She’s among hundreds of trained volunteers from across

You may be wondering how you can help recovery efforts in Florida following the devastation of Hurricane Ian. Sarah Brouse, Red Cross Disaster Responder For La Quinta resident Sarah Brouse, volunteering with the American Red Cross is her calling. She is on standby and prepared to fly across the country to help residents impacted by

In Thermal, The Flying Doctors and the Coachella Valley Medical volunteers hosted a free health fair clinic at the Desert Mirage High School from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Congressmember Raul Ruiz joined local medical volunteers to provide services to the community, including flu shots, COVID testing, and more health resources. This event was open

Friday is Hunger Action Day and FIND Food Bank is joining other Coachella Valley cities to help stop hunger. FIND Food Bank distributes over 20 million pounds of food annually to people across the Coachella Valley. Statistics from the food bank reveal that 99% of people that receive assistance from the food bank have an

Sam Pace, owner of Sammy’s Place in Cathedral City, has died, the Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City announced on Tuesday. Pace was a former board member, volunteer, and mentor for the Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City for over 15 years. “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of

A middle school student got extra special attention today from the Indio police department. Adrian and his mother were in a traffic collision on Monday on Fred Waring Drive and Burr Street. “He was shaken up knowing they were in a traffic accident, and his mother went to the hospital,” says Ben Guitron, the Indio Police

One valley community is on a mission to put together hundreds of first-aid kits for Ukrainian soliders. A group at Indian Ridge Country Club in Palm Desert is volunteering their time and money to get medical supplies they hope will make a difference on the front lines in Ukraine. “The thing is that these kits

A local doctor is prepping basic first aid kits to send to the people in Ukraine who are fighting the Russians. Dr. Dan Olesnicky with Executive Urgent Care in Indian Wells is asking for the public’s help in creating thousands of first aid kits to send by the end of the week. His goal: 10,000

Coachella Valley Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-36) issued a message on Twitter Thursday morning to declare his alliance with the people of Ukraine. His tweet read: “Russia’s declaration of war on Ukraine threatens peace and stability around the globe. I stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people to protect their sovereignty, and my prayers are

Several AmeriCorps members are in the Coachella Valley helping the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition (CVHC) build affordable homes. These members arrived in early February and are expected to stick around to help until April 1. They are working 40 hours a week with homebuilders to help assist with building affordable homes. The members on Friday

Keeping your health in check is more important now than ever because of the pandemic, and one woman at a Palm Springs yoga studio is helping people reach their health goals. Over at My Yoga Place Palm Springs, owner Cathy Cassetta is bringing the art of yoga to local residents. “The work we’re doing here

Every year Judy and Micael Sullivan create hand-crafted wooden toys to give to children in need during the holiday season. The toys vary from different vehicles, puzzles, keepsake boxes, and trinkets. The Sullivans spend several days in the year in their wood workshop designing, cutting, and painting each toy. Judy also goes through each toy

Two elementary school students are making money by crafting their own wooden custom flags. The money they raise is being contributed to Gerald Ford Elementary School to help improve the music and arts program. As brothers Jake and Jason Vasquez followed the “stay at home” orders, they turned some free time into a small business.

Hispanic Heritage Month is well underway and every year around this time the contributions of LatinX community members are recognized by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. Among the selected this year are two Coachella Valley essential workers, Cesar Millan and Manuela Ramirez now join the list of recipients of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Chair

Stitches for Kids is a group formed from the Indio Senior Center that gets together and makes quilts to donate to children who are in need of a little comfort. “The idea was to make cuddle quilts for these children in crisis situations,” said Beth Irish, a member with Stitches for Kids. They were founded