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Martha's
Village and Kitchen
It all began in a small
kitchen in a church parish hall. In 1990, Gloria Gomez and Claudia
Castorena opened Martha’s Kitchen with the assistance of Our Lady of
Perpetual Help Church in Indio. At the time, they served 30 hot
meals once a week. When the call for volunteer went out, church
members of all faiths began to participate by assisting in meal
preparation and food service. Some of the volunteers have been at
Martha’s for over ten years.
In 1998, Tom and Rita Martin visited Martha's Kitchen, which was now
serving 350 meals five days a week. The Martins shared the founders'
vision of a comprehensive program that would help rehabilitate the
homeless. Together, they chose Father Joe's Villages as the model
and partner for their program.
Today, Martha’s Village & Kitchen is a thriving Village with a
comprehensive "continuum of care" program for homeless families.
Thanks to the Martins' gift of 10 acres of land and $250,000, a $1.5
million commitment to Martha’s by Dan Dunlap, an international
philanthropist, and a $2 million HUD grant, Martha’s Village &
Kitchen opened the doors of our $10 million Dan Dunlap Center in
December, 2000. The Center offers all the necessary resources for
people to regain self-sufficiency. |
We
believe that helping those that help our critters is a worthwhile
endeavor. So that we may best disperse our energy and resources, and
to ensure that the animals we treat are receiving the best possible
support care, we ask that all foster and rescue agencies interested
in working with us make arrangements prior to arrival. We are happy
to offer discounts to active foster and rescue agencies. Please
contact our practice manager for further details.