Out of the Ashes: Some Good News about ‘Community’
The fire at the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission in Indio shortly after midnight Wednesday morning certainly is not good news. On the other hand, the news is not all bad, either.
The blaze destroyed a good portion of the existing structure and made 93 people homeless. What, exactly, will happen now is not known. When will the structure be rebuilt? Will it be rebuilt? At what cost? Where will we house all of its former residents for the mid- and long-term?
But there is also good news in the ashes. No one was hurt, and given the time of night and the intensity of the blaze, which started, apparently, in the laundry room area, that’s fortunate indeed.
And then the big picture of how the Coachella Valley pulls together when these types of incidents occur begins to unfold. And it’s a pretty picture.
The Fire Department did its normally great job, saving a large portion of the structure. The Red Cross and the County’s Office of Emergency Services responded quickly and effectively. The Riverside Economic Development Agency (EDA) and the Sunline Transit Agency were out in the wee hours, responding to the need for shelter and the need for transportation to that shelter, on the County Fairgrounds. Martha’s Village provided helpful and cooperative assistance to ensure there was no loss of meal service to Rescue Mission clients.
The County Department of Public Social Services provided motel vouchers and coordinated efforts of various homeless programs to support the Mission in its time of need. Nightengale Manor in Palm Springs agreed to accept families with children so they would have better facilities than the temporary shelter. EDA hired private security for the Shelter at the Fullenwider Auditorium.
“It wasn’t as precisely run as a Red Cross Shelter, or the CV Rescue Mission Shelter, but it was exactly what was required to serve the human need,” said Kevin Brown, Emergency Services Coordinator for the Office of Emergency Services. “In 25 years as an emergency manager, I’ve rarely witnessed a finer example of people who each put in their piece until the puzzle came together.“
“The response to this fire shows what great things government and private organizations can accomplish when we set aside agency agendas and work together to serve the community “
The County Health Department responded with nurses, so the shelter was immediately provided around the clock with that service.
Now, the operation is back under the umbrella of the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, which credits Martha’s Village with being of an enormous help, especially in providing for meals. Donations poured in from around the community—for-profit companies, non-profit groups, governmental agencies—all pressing above and beyond the call of duty, individuals with small donations and large.
“We’ve had everything from financial contributions, to goods, to services,” said Darla Burkett Executive Director of the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission. “The community’s been terrific. We’ve just been amazed.”
Then she began to tick off from memory some of the contributions—notably 48 “beautiful homemade quilts” from the Women’s Quilters Guild of the Coachella Valley—Brownie Troops, Boy Scouts, and pillows from, ironically, Granite Construction.
“Supplies, toiletries, clothing. Well in the Desert has been most helpful. Fantasy Springs Casino, Del Taco…”
She can’t remember them all. It’s been a couple of tough days. The time will come for remembering.
Meanwhile, the County Transportation and Land Management Agency was trying to get the power back on to the portion of the facility which is habitable, and optimistic that it will happen in the near future. That means a couple of dozen women will be able to return to the facility.
During a meeting Wednesday afternoon at the emergency shelter located within the Fullenwider, several member agencies commented on how the entire Coachella Valley community was pulling together to solve this substantial problem. A few were speculating about how few other communities could manage it so well.
The damage was significant. The cost to rebuild will be high. There is, of course, a plan to build a new facility . . . but that will take at least a couple of years. So the rebuilding will be an ongoing process. Still, there is more good in this story than bad.
If you’d like to donate cash, you can go right to the Rescue Mission website at www.cvrm.org, and if you’d like to donate other items, you can take them to the Fullenwider or call for pickup. The phone number is 347-3512.