Walter Clark, Tom Tokheim, Steve Lind, Patty Newman, Martin Serna, Chuck Riach, Chris Pyle
Carole Stephen Smith
Special to The Desert Sun
June 26, 2020
The mission of the Coachella Valley Wellness Foundation (CVWF) is to help support and promote good health here in the Coachella Valley and its surrounding areas. “Small but mighty” should be the mantra for this dedicated group of local business people and philanthropists. Heading the group as chair is desert resident Patty Newman, a spokesperson for many local charities. At her side as board of directors are Walter Clark, J.D., secretary; Chuck Riach, treasurer; Steve Lind, J.D., LL.M; Chris Pyle, CPA; Martin Serna and Tom Tokheim.
Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, CVWF has given grants between $5,000 and $15,000 to eight deserving local nonprofits that work tirelessly to provide basic needs, such as food, shelter and testing to those who need it.
The organizations that have received grants since March are ABC Recovery Center, Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine, Family Services of the Desert (Food Now), FIND Food Bank, Galilee Center, The Joslyn Center and Martha’s Village & Kitchen.
Act for MS, a local nonprofit that honors those in the community who give above and beyond, had selected CVWF as 2020 honorees at their annual gala, which was scheduled for March 15 but canceled due to the outbreak.
“We are a small foundation that supports wellness locally,” says Newman, who was honored as one of the “Women Who Rule” by the Women Leaders Forum of the Coachella Valley in 2018. “And to that end, we feel that it is imperative for us to try to help those organizations that are on the actual front lines of dealing with and responding to the COVID-19 crisis here in the valley.”
Giving definitely takes a village, and we are lucky to have the Coachella Valley Wellness Foundation in ours.
To help the Coachella Valley Wellness Foundation continue providing basic human services to those in need, donations can be sent by check to CV Wellness Foundation, 71687 Highway 111, Suite 203, Rancho Mirage, Calif. 92270. For more information, email cwwellnessfoundation@aol.com. The organization is currently working on a website.