Martha’s Village and Kitchen opened homeless services at the city’s new day-time drop-in access center

Martha’s Village & Kitchen, has been helping in the east valley since 1990, and starting today they are helping in the west valley.

Martha's Village and Kitchen is slowly opening homeless services at the city’s new day-time drop-in access center.

"Palm Springs is in need of resources for the homeless population and the city of Palm Springs, so what we wanted to do was to bring some of the services that we do provide in the city of Indio to clients out here in Palm Springs," said Rosa Verduzco, Senior Director of Programs for Martha's Village and Kitchen.

The access center is open Monday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.
and once the phases are completed the center will provide case management services and employment services, showers, bus passes, and more.

“We are hoping this would allow us time to interact with clients and help them get assessed and get them into permanent housing or services they need,” said Verduzco.

The center spent today getting the center ready.

“They will come in and sign in and we will take their temperatures and there will be refreshments, water, and snacks for them. They will sign a log in which they are able to access employment services and meet with the caseworker there or case management. We will do an assessment of their needs and how we can help them,” said Verduzco.

Due to covid restrictions, they have a capacity of 20 to 30 people at a time.

Arlene Rosenthal, President of the Well in the Desert is concerned that this space isn’t enough room.

"We have a lot more people than that that are homeless, they aren’t allowed to be outside of the boxing club, so where are these homeless people going to go, that’s still my question, where do they go,” said Rosenthal.

The city of Palm Springs revoked Well in the Desert's permit to operate and Rosenthal hopes the city will find other ways to help.

Well in the Desert is offering to help however they can.

More services will include mobile showers and laundry services and an official grand opening event for the new drop-in access center will be scheduled within the next couple of weeks.