Galilee Center gets truckloads of donations from Coachella and Stagecoach

One man's trash is another man's treasure. Local nonprofit Galilee Center received truckloads of donations from all the items people left behind at Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals. 

It's the fourth year the Galilee Center has partnered with Goldenvoice, the parent company of the music festivals, to receive all the left-behind items from festival goers and vendors.  

The center helps to provide shelter, food, and clothing to those in need on the eastern side of the Coachella Valley. The center also serves many migrant farmworkers in the area.

The center's assistant director of operations, Martha Gomez Olvera helped collect donations. 

"It's a blessing in disguise... The festival-goers pretty much are doing the donation themselves without realizing, and that's okay with us," said Olvera. "Being a part of Goldenvoice and these festivals has been nothing but positivity for our organization."

The center spent hours after each festival weekend going through the campgrounds. Stuffing more than 25 trucks full of items like pillows, sleeping bags, and tents. Even vendors left behind items like the turf used at the American Express Lounge. Items like sleeping bags, pillows, and blankets are all washed at the center.

Galilee Center posted to their Facebook saying, "Galilee Center is incredibly grateful for the opportunity provided by Goldenvoice to collect the belongings left behind by Coachella festival-goers... We commend Goldenvoice for its generosity and commitment to positively impacting the community."

It's one of the biggest donation events of the year for the center. The center received nearly 73,000 pounds of donations, which is more than last year.

The center resells most of the items. All the money raised goes back into the center's emergency services and programs that help locals in need.

Some shoppers like Allan Seymur make sure to check out the center after the festivals to find bargains.  

"It's just great to see that it's not wasted," said Seymur. "Sometimes I say the treasure hunts as good as the treasurer."

The center's director of operations, Lupe Torres Hilario, said she's thankful for the festivals' impact. 

"If we weren't here, all these donations would be going to landfill," said Hilario. "There are people that come to these concerts from all over the world and it's just so unique to be able to be a part of it."

The Galilee Center is working to expand its overnight shelter. So some of the pillows and sleeping bags will be stored and used to help people in need at the shelter. 

"Just the money that has been raised for our organization. You can't ask for anything else.