The Coachella Valley Housing Coalition (CVHC) has received a $15,200 grant from Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation (Rural LISC) to support its Volunteer-Driven Community Gardens Program in Indio, part of CVHC’s Healthy Housing Initiative.

The Grant, part of an annual award to support its Community Services Coordinator, is being provided to CVHC to design, manage and implement its community gardens program for the residents of Fred Young Farm Labor Camp, Desert Gardens Apartments, and Villa Hermosa Apartments in Indio.

The goal is to enlist the help of community volunteers to develop the community gardens; complete with a one-day garden box build event and on-going program coordination.

“We have seen the beauty and human connection that comes from providing Community Gardens at our housing developments,” said CVHC Executive Director Julie Bornstein. “Our residents are growers at heart, who tell us they want a place of their own where they can grow healthy fruits and vegetables for their own tables and to share with their neighbors.” The grant from Rural LISC helps develop this successful program in CVHC’s three Indio communities off Van Buren Street and Dr. Carreon Boulevard.

If you are interested in volunteering, please send an email to Joe Mota, CVHC’s Community Services Coordinator at jmota@cvhc.org He will respond to your email with program updates and information on the one-day community gardens build event planned for this fall.