Cathedral City Cuts Charity Grants

CATHEDRAL CITY -Charities are facing big grant cuts as city leaders decide they just can’t afford them anymore.

Teenagers take part in the tutoring program at Working Wonders. The Cathedral City charity has expanded their focus on families living with HIV and AIDS to include helping troubled teens.

Charity director Evelyn Hernandez Valentino says, “We just recently received a $10,000 grant from Cathedral City to help with our youth development program.”

That is the last they will get in the near future. City leaders decided Wednesday night they can’t afford anymore, pulling next years grant money from all charities except two.

Cathedral City Communications Director Allen Howe explains, “For a one year period to only fund the Cathedral City Boys and Girls club and the senior center at Tierra Del Sol.”

Because Cathedral City was founded after California’s Prop 13, the landmark governing property taxes, this city has been hit particularly hard in the housing crisis. That leaves charities including Gilda’s Club and Working Wonders wondering how certain programs will continue after next June when the city’s help ends.

Valentino adds, “What we provide through Working Wonders is an 8 week program of self esteem, HIV/AIDs prevention education, for pregnancy prevention and a whole lot of other social issues.”

City engineering and planning staffs are also cut by 20 percent. That means longer waits for building permits once the economy does pick up.

Howe says, “The state legislature is basically removing $11.5 million from Cathedral City over the next two years. That was not looked for and is a much larger amount than anyone would anticipate.

When asked if Howe believes the state is stealing from Cathedral City’s coffers, he answers, “I would say it has put us in a very difficult position.”

Working Wonders can be reached at 760-324-7586

Gilda’s Club can be reached at 760-770-5678