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Read With Me Program helping students, seeking volunteers
Distance learning is not getting in the way of a 16-year-old tutoring organization to keep doing what organizers know is needed to help valley students. Read With Me Volunteer Programs did a major pivot this year, when the pandemic led to distance learning, and volunteers continued tutoring students – virtually. The Auen Foundation is supporting the program with a $30,000 grant to train volunteers, most of whom are people over 55.
“The schools we work in have a high incidence of children living in homes where English is not spoken. These children have lost a great deal of academic progress since last March and need additional tutoring more than ever,” said Roberta Klein, Founder of Read With Me, which normally transports trained volunteer tutors to schools in the east valley. “We have demonstrated that poorly achieving students that have a volunteer tutor make twice as much academic progress as the rest of the students in school.”
Before the pandemic, Read With Me had about 750 volunteers, many of whom are snowbirds. When Read With Me volunteers were no longer able to tutor at school sites, the organization worked with Coachella Valley Unified School District to develop an effective, virtual tutoring program. Read With Me established three training locations – at the Berger Charitable Center, Southwest Church and Hope Lutheran Church – to train volunteers how to use Zoom and help students with reading and English language skills virtually. Volunteers can also train virtually, if they live outside the valley or are not comfortable coming to the socially distanced, in-person training.
“I feel so good after a tutoring session knowing I am helping kids with something as important as reading,” said Jay Kane, a Read With Me volunteer tutor. “For many months at the start of the pandemic I had very little contact with others, and started to feel somewhat isolated. Now, I feel connected and like I’m doing something impactful.”
Kane started volunteering with Read With Me in 2013 and worked with students in-person at Mecca Elementary School, but he says Read With Me made transitioning to virtual tutoring relatively easy. Volunteers can attend as many training sessions as they want until they feel comfortable using the virtual method to tutor from home. All tutors must complete state and federal background checks. Teachers facilitate the Zoom sessions, creating virtual breakout rooms with students and tutors.
“The Read With Me program has a dedicated team that has not let the pandemic stop them from what they’re passionate about,” said Sherrie Auen. “They are adapting to the circumstances because they know many children are struggling even more in today’s distance learning environment, and they still want to give these kids opportunities to develop their full potential.”
Five remote learning specialists have now trained more than 100 volunteers, some from as far away as Canada, Alaska and Nebraska. Program organizers say they need at least 100 more volunteers to tutor virtually in the 14 schools that appreciate this valuable, supplemental assistance. When students return to a hybrid in-person/distance learning schedule, most schools will still not allow volunteers on campus, so Read With Me expects to continue virtual tutoring for some time. The Auen Foundation grant will support the growth of this distance learning program.
For more information about becoming a Read With Me volunteer, visit www.readwithmevolunteers.com.
Grant supports DAP’s COVID-19 Triage Clinic
A $50,000 grant from the Auen Foundation is helping serve desert residents with a COVID-19 Triage Clinic recently opened at Desert AIDS Project (DAP) in Palm Springs. In mid-March, DAP health workers and other staff quickly created the COVID-19 Triage Clinic over one weekend. It’s been open ever since.
“Our goal is straight forward: save lives through COVID-19 testing and symptom treatment and save lives through keeping moderately ill people in our care verses overwhelming the valley’s emergency rooms,” said David Brinkman, CEO of DAP. “This grant is helping us accomplish that.”
In addition to the COVID-19 Triage Clinic, DAP recently opened a drive-up service for people who qualify for testing to be evaluated and swabbed for COVID-19 in their vehicles. All coronavirus-related services are available to anyone, regardless of other health conditions, including diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, which is what DAP was originally established to support. Since March 16, DAP reported seeing an average of 20 people per day at the COVID-19 Triage Clinic, but this capacity has increased to 40–50 per day by adding drive-up service, which requires an appointment by calling (760) 992‑0407. The nonprofit is still seeing clients for other services during the pandemic.
Having the dedicated COVID-19 Triage Clinic allows medical experts to screen patients demonstrating symptoms in a quarantined space, while also allowing non-symptomatic patients to continue having their health needs met without potential exposure.
“It is important that we keep our doors open during this time. Many people need the services we provide,” said Brinkman. “That’s why this gift from the Auen Foundation is so important.”
DAP is using the Auen Foundation gift to purchase medical supplies, including critical personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, gowns, and gloves and pay for costs associated with maintaining a sterile clinic environment. Funds also support professional health staff. DAP’s COVID-19 Triage Clinic includes a board-certified infectious disease clinician, a nurse practitioner, three registered nurses, one licensed vocational nurse, and two registration personnel. Currently, DAP is prepared to keep the clinic and testing operations open through mid-June, but administration is monitoring community needs and will adjust as necessary.
“From our longtime history of supporting DAP, we know the organization and the people there are committed to responding to the community’s ever-changing needs,” said Catharine Reed, Program Director for the Auen Foundation, which is dedicated to enhancing the overall quality of life of the aging population. “DAP acted quickly and responsibly when COVID-19 cases were first reported in the valley.”
Outside of the coronavirus pandemic, DAP serves the Coachella Valley with primary and HIV-specialty services, including medical and dental care, case management, and social services, including food, housing, and counseling, among other proactive health and treatment services. DAP’s COVID-19 hotline is (760) 992‑0407. For more information about any of DAP’s services, call 760–323-2118 or visit www.desertaidsproject.org. DAP is located at 1695 N. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs.
Foundation’s gift creates kid-friendly waiting area
Loma Linda University Children’s Health – Indio hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of The Auen Foundation Children’s Play Area, made possible by the foundation’s grant of $100,000 at the Jill & Barry Golden Pavilion on February 18.
Sherrie Auen, Trustee of The Auen Foundation — a non-profit, grant-making organization based in the Coachella Valley — said the partnership with Children’s Health – Indio was inspired after a tour of the state-of-the-art medical facility, where they decided to focus grant funds on the clinic’s waiting area.
“We saw an opportunity to make the clinic’s waiting area a little happier,” Auen said. “The Children’s Play Area is meant to be comfortable and fun — to let a kid be a kid. It will be a therapeutic space for children and families.”
Loma Linda University Children’s Health administration, officials from the City of Indio, Big Hearts for Little Hearts – Desert Guild board members and patient families attended the ceremony to celebrate The Auen Foundation’s gift.
Patients and their families who were in attendance received teddy bears and books donated by the foundation. Emmanuel Presichi, 6, a former patient, stood up with his parents to thank Children’s Health – Indio for caring for him and to thank The Auen Foundation for partnering with the clinic.
More than 3,000 children in the Coachella Valley receive care from Loma Linda University Children’s Health – Indio. The clinic offers a broad scope of pediatric services including general pediatrics, behavioral health counseling, pediatric gastroenterology, pediatric neurology, pediatric endocrinology and dental services.
Seniors vital to Palm Springs International Film Festival
As celebrities, filmmakers, and the general public of filmgoers converge on the 31st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF), it will be the role of about 800 volunteers to make the film festival an unforgettable experience. More than 135,000 people are expected at this year’s festival, which touts nearly 200 films from 81 countries.
“With so many moving parts, the festival would not be possible without our dedicated volunteer corps and the support of generous donors, such as the Auen Foundation,” said Kristin Bloomer, Sponsorship and Development Manager for the Palm Springs International Film Society, which produces both the International Film Festival in January and the Palm Springs International ShortFest in June.
A $40,000 grant from the Auen Foundation supports the recruitment, training, management and retention of festival volunteers, 90 percent of which are seniors participating in the Festival’s Senior and Active Retirement Programs. The grant also offsets the cost of film festival tickets for senior volunteers, senior centers and community groups.
“We believe this partnership with the Palm Springs International Film Festival enriches the lives of our local seniors by providing them more access to this world-class event and getting them involved in their community,” said Sherrie Auen, Program Director for the Auen Foundation. “Volunteering helps people feel valued, and our seniors have so much to contribute.”
Prior to the PSIFF, volunteers assist the small, year-round festival staff by answering phones, performing clerical functions, distributing posters and rack cards, cataloguing films, and even participating in the screening process. Once Palm Springs’ premier event is underway, a complex scheduling system ensures that volunteers are taking tickets at every screening, counting ballots for the Audience Awards, welcoming guests at Festival parties and special events and making everyone feel like a VIP at the Film Awards Gala.
The 31st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, one of the largest film festivals in North America, runs January 2–13, 2020. The Film Awards Gala, held on Thursday, January 2, honors cinematic achievements from some of Hollywood’s most celebrated talents. For more information about the Palm Springs International Film Festival or how to volunteer, visit www.psfilmfest.org or call 760–778-8979 or 800–898-7256.
Auen Foundation grants will help students in financial “gap”
While college is an exciting time for many students, others have the stressful reality of financing their education to support their dreams. Two grants from the Auen Foundation aim to alleviate that burden for some local college students caught in what is termed a “gap.” This is where many students fall when they don’t qualify for state and federal need-based aid, but have difficulty paying for college expenses, particularly when unforeseen circumstances arise.
“Many students are above the income threshold, but are still struggling to pay for school and the cost of living,” said Peter Sturgeon, with the College of the Desert (COD) Foundation, which received a $50,000 grant to assist students in its rigorous nursing program. “This is especially difficult for those people supporting more than just themselves. Many of our nursing students are single parents and veterans, looking to improve their lives and the financial security of their families.”
“These funds will help students who are probably already making sacrifices and facing challenges to attend university,” said Dr. Sharon Brown-Welty, Dean of California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) Palm Desert Campus, which received a $50,000 grant earmarked for emergency assistance for qualifying students.
As students apply for these emergency grants, CSUSB Palm Desert Campus administrators plan to collect additional data to determine consistent obstacles that impede on college students’ successes. It is already known that the college attainment rate in the Coachella Valley is less than 30 percent for all adults, and only 12 percent for Hispanic adults, which make up 40 percent of the community. Understanding how to attract and support additional students is a component of how the Auen Foundation gift will further assist CSUSB Palm Desert Campus.
“The Auen Foundation believes in the importance of higher education in our community, and we continually look for ways to partner with our local colleges and universities,” said Catharine Reed, Senior Program Officer of the Auen Foundation. “A college education is becoming increasingly critical for job security, and we want to support those students in our area who are making a commitment to achieve that goal.”
Each institution has its own application process to qualify students for grants between $1,500-$2,500 per calendar year to support immediate and short-term challenges that hinder individual success. Funding is allocated on a case-by-case basis, but possible uses may include textbook and other course supplies, short-term transportation needs, support for household basics in extraordinary circumstances, or temporary childcare resources.
“An incredible 60 percent of our students qualify for maximum federal and state financial aid, and 36 percent of our students live at or below the poverty line. For students scraping to assure they are in college, the expenses of books and even food and transportation can be additional barriers we are working to overcome by establishing this program through the generous support of the Auen Foundation,” said Dr. Brown-Welty.
Support of higher education, particularly in fields related to medicine and services aimed at meeting the needs of mature adults and their families, aligns with the Auen Foundation’s mission to enhance the quality of life for the aging population.
For more information about these emergency scholarships contact the independent institutions. CSUSB Palm Desert Campus is located at 37500 Cook Street, Palm Desert; visit www.pdc.csusb.edu or call (760) 341‑2883. For College of the Desert, located at 43–500 Monterey Ave, Palm Desert, visit: www.collegeofthedesert.edu or call (760) 346‑8041. D
Auen Foundation sponsors two guide dog puppies in training
Representatives of the Auen Foundation recently met two puppies they are sponsoring for guide dog training at Guide Dogs of the Desert. Sherrie Auen, Program Director, and Catharine Reed, Senior Program Officer, named the standard poodles Katie and Sandy after family members.
“It was great to meet these puppies, which will be trained to make an important impact in two people’s lives,” said Reed. “These lovable puppies have no idea how important that are.”
The puppies will first be raised by a foster family until they are 18–20 months old, and then they will live and train at the facility in Whitewater where they will participate in a rigorous 4–6 month training. If the dogs complete the program and reach graduation, each will be placed with a person who is visually impaired. Together this new team will train further at the organization’s live-in facility for 28 days in order for the dog to help provide its new owner safe mobility, companionship and independence.
Since 1972, Guide Dogs of the Desert has graduated more than 1,375 teams from its program, all accredited by the International Guide Dog Federation. The organization breeds and has relationships with breeders of Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Standard Poodles, and some German Shepherds.
“By carefully maintaining a specific pedigree, we increase our success of graduating highly qualified dogs that can truly enhance a person’s life,” said Sarah Clapp, Executive Director of Guide Dogs of the Desert.
“It was wonderful to see how these puppies are cared for and trained in a very specific way that has a high success rate,” said Auen. “We are looking forward to coming back to watch our Katie and Sandy graduate with their owners and see them off to a life of service that only these specially-trained dogs can provide. It’s all very heartwarming, and we are happy to be a part of this process.”
Guide Dogs of the Desert is located at 60735 Dillon Road, Whitewater. For more information visit guidedogsofthedesert.org or call (760) 329‑6257.
Coachella Valley Horse Rescue receives relief for summer camp
Coachella Valley Horse Rescue was thrilled when two air conditioning units were donated to the nonprofit organization by Tarkett, based in Solon, Ohio. The AC units were installed in the ranch’s clubhouse, where the nonprofit teaches kids 7–18 years-old equine education during summer camp. However, after the AC units were installed, organization representatives – which spend all year rescuing, rehabilitating and finding loving homes for neglected and abused horses – were faced with the reality that they needed to upgrade the facility in order to efficiently cool the clubhouse, even with the new AC units. The organization appealed to its supporters, who contacted the Auen Foundation.
“We never want to be a rescue facility that needs to be rescued,” said David DiMeno, President of Coachella Valley Horse Rescue and Coachella Valley Mounted Rangers. “The Auen Foundation helped make this possible. Now we can start summer camp with a cool clubhouse and then use it all year long as we continue to educate the community.”
The Auen Foundation provided a grant to insulate a portion of the clubhouse, add an interior wall, install a sliding glass door, drop a portion of the ceiling and redo lighting within the lower ceiling. All of the upgrades – to increase the facility’s maximum cooling potential – were managed by Superior Heating and Air Conditioning.
“Often, projects are best accomplished through a partnership,” said Catharine Reed, Senior Program Officer for the Auen Foundation. “Coachella Valley Horse Rescue found that an air conditioner donation was not enough. They discovered they also needed additional upgrades in order for the AC units to run most efficiently. We are happy we could help this organization that helps many animals and people in a number of ways.”
The primary mission of Coachella Valley Horse Rescue is to rescue and care for abused and neglected horses and find them safe homes. In addition, the organization partners with other nonprofit organizations throughout the Coachella Valley to educate children and adults about animal cruelty and equine education.
Beginning June 12, Coachella Valley Horse Rescue is offering three 3‑day summer camp sessions. Campers learn to ride and care for horses daily from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. at the organization’s 8‑acre facility in Indio. And, now, classroom time will be especially cool – thanks to the grant from the Auen Foundation.
For more information about Coachella Valley Horse Rescue or the summer camp call 760–808-6279 or go to cvhorserescue.org, or email the summer camp director at rescuedirector@cvhorserescue.org.
Foundation continues support of AAP food voucher program
AAP — Food Samaritans (AAP) announced today that the Auen Foundation recently awarded a $25,000 grant to the organization to support its food voucher program for low-income Coachella Valley residents who suffer from HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses. This is the 18th consecutive year that the Auen Foundation has supported this program.
“We are impressed by the AAP – Food Samaritans recent expansion of its mission,” said Catharine Reed, Senior Program Officer for the Auen Foundation. “For more than 26 years, this organization has offered nutritional support to Coachella Valley residents that need it the most. Originally, AAP was focused on serving people living with HIV/AIDS, but they recently expanded their mission to include people living with other chronic illnesses. We applaud this expansion and outreach to some of our community’s most vulnerable residents.”
AAP – Food Samaritans was founded in 1991 to help the most at-risk members of the Greater Palm Springs community – people who are low-income and compromised by HIV/AIDS. It recently expanded its services to include people suffering from cancer, MS, heart or liver disease, and other chronic illnesses. Its ongoing mission is to ensure that all AAP clients can continue to live their lives with dignity and self-respect.
“I’m pleased that AAP – Food Samaritans has had such a beneficial and long-standing relationship with the Auen Foundation,” said Mark Anton, CEO and Executive Director of AAP. “Their ongoing support of AAP has played a vital role in ensuring that we continue to fulfill our mission of providing monthly nutritional support to low income Coachella Valley residents who live with chronic illness. AAP does not receive federal or state financial assistance, so generous private donations like this allow us to continue to support the people who need it most.”
Auen Foundation grant assists CSUSB Palm Desert Campus students
The Auen Foundation awarded California State University, San Bernardino Palm Desert Campus with emergency and gap funding for students who qualify. The $50,000 grant was presented to CSUSB Palm Desert Campus to create a needs-based, financial support system for current students enrolled in the region’s only four-year public university. “These funds will help students who are probably already making sacrifices and facing challenges to attend university,” said Dr. Sharon Brown-Welty, Dean of CSUSB Palm Desert Campus. “An incredible 60 percent of our students qualify for maximum federal and state financial aid, and 36 percent of our students live at or below the poverty line. For those students scraping to assure they are in college, the expenses of books and even food and transportation can be additional barriers we are working to overcome by establishing this program through the generous support of the Auen Foundation.” Through an application and interview process, students are provided with grants of up to $1,500 per calendar year to support immediate and short-term challenges that hinder individual success. Funding will be allocated on a case-by-case basis, but possible uses may include book and class material expenses, short-term transportation needs, support for household basics in extraordinary circumstances, or temporary childcare resources. As students apply for these emergency grants, CSUSB Palm Desert Campus administrators plan to collect additional data to determine consistent obstacles that impede on college students’ successes. It is already known that the college attainment rate in the Coachella Valley is less than 30 percent for all adults, and only 12 percent for Hispanic adults, which make up 40 percent of the community. Understanding how to attract and support additional students in secondary education is a component of how the Auen Foundation gift will further assist CSUSB Palm Desert Campus. “The Auen Foundation believes in the importance of higher education in our community, and we have been supporting Cal State San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus and its students since we moved here,” said Catharine Reed, Senior Program Officer of the Auen Foundation. “Secondary education is becoming increasingly critical for job security, and we want to support those students in our area who are making a commitment to achieve that goal.” CSUSB Palm Desert Campus is located at 37500 Cook Street, Palm Desert. For more information visit www.pdc.csusb.edu or call (760) 341‑2883.
Construction begins on the Kenneth P. Miles Hangar
Representatives from the Auen Foundation joined many other Palm Springs Air Museum donors as construction on the organization’s fourth hanger began. Three years in the making, the Kenneth P. Miles Korean and Vietnam War Hangar will house vintage aircraft and artifacts from the Vietnam, Korean and Cold War eras as well as a POW/MIA display.
As a vintage T‑28 amazed the crowd of about 100 with a fly over, Karen Miles, widow of the late Major General Ken Miles, a loyal supporter of the museum, led the beam-signing event. Other donors and beam signers in attendance included Lew and Dorothy Webb, Robert Webb, Fritz Frauchiger, Monte Marts, and Rhonda Smith. Palm Springs Air Museum Board members attending included Fred Bell, Robert Borns, Bill Bramer, Dan Gilbertson, Jim Houston, Bill Hughes, and Dr. Dave Thompson as well as museum staff, volunteers, and various community supporters. Comments were made by Bell, Gilbertson, Miles, Toni Aguillar for Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz’s office and Rita Massie for Supervisor John Benoit’s office. All guests attended a catered lunch by Carousel in the Pacific Hanger after the signing ceremony.
General visitors to the museum were also offered an opportunity to sign the hanger beam throughout the day. The following day, the beam was raised into position. The $2.25 million, 20,000 square foot hangar is 2–3 months away from completion thanks to generous support of many additional community donors including the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation, the Auen Foundation, Toyota Motor Sales of North America, Mona and Ed Sher, Harold Matzner, Jolinda Parker, Phil Hixon and many others.
The Palm Springs Air Museum is located at 745 N. Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs. The museum is open to the public daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The nonprofit organization’s next fundraising event is the Palm Springs Air Museum’s 20th Anniversary Gala on Friday, February 17. For more information, visit palmspringsairmuseum.org or call 760–778-6262.