County Homeless Charities Get Money From Federal Government

Local homeless shelters are hoping to get some federal stimulus funds. Riverside County just announced they’re getting more than $6 million from the federal government.

Now other local homeless charities are beginning to see some serious money coming their way.

News Channel 3 looks into where these federal dollars are going.

A nursery is filled with children whose parents have no home. Martha’s Village and Kitchen in Indio found themselves hurting in these tough times until federal money began coming their way.

Father Joe Carroll explained, “We were expecting to do a 10 percent cut in staff and programs this year. We have about a 20 percent increase in people needing help. But when we have HUD, who was a little late, comes up with the $525,000 to Martha’s, we have to go to our donors to get a two to one match.”

Homeless from all around the Coachella valley have come to rely on this Indio charity.

“My dad passed away, last year. May 16th. I didn’t have anywhere to go. My pastor sent me here,” said Terri Hess.

James Smith added, “I was out. Just paroled from prison, not having anyplace to go. I was working. I got in a car accident. A friend of mine told me his wife did some bookkeeping for here. So I came down and they invited me right in. Made me feel right at home.”

We asked Victoria Ivy whether the recession made life even more difficult.

She responded, “Yeah, because jobs and stuff like that. It’s harder to get a job right now with everything that’s going on. So until it gets better, I’ll be able to get out of here when it does.”

Father Joe and charity founder Gloria Gomez have big dreams to expand Martha’s Village and Kitchen.

On the other side of the valley, workers continue converting a large warehouse in North Palm Springs. It will welcome in hundreds of homeless people in April. Some are already being bussed in to stay the night.

More homeless will get new federal money for transitional housing programs.

Father Joe is respected and loved by those in his care, but he’d much rather see the homeless get the help they need to get places of their own.