Desert Charities News - Jan-Feb-Mar 2025

. M EN IN PHILANTHROPY - A LPHA O RDER PAGE 1 DESERT CHARITIES NEWS SPOTLIGHT DAVID AMBROZ Head of Community Engagement for Southern California Making A Di erence When it comes to lifting up communities, we look to leverage our scale for good and use our ability to innovate quickly to strengthen communities around the world where our employees live and work. Amazon’s culture is built around solving impossible problems, which is why we’re able to take a dierent, more hands-on approach than most. We work side-by-side with community partners to find solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges and build long-term, innovative programs that have a lasting, positive impact. REID D. MILANOVICH Reid. D. Milanovich serves as Tribal Chairman for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Chairman Milanovich Reid D. Milanovich was sworn in as Chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians on April 5, 2022. He was first elected to the Tribal Council in April 2014 and served five consecutive terms as a Tribal Council Member and two and a half years as Vice Chairman. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has donated millions of dollars to hundreds of charities over the past decade. In addition, the Tribe presents the annual Charity Golf Tournament that provides donations to five charities each year. This year’s golf tournament supports Palm Springs Mounted Police, SafeHouse, Desert Cancer Foundation, Animal Samaritans, and Inner-Tribal Treatment. “These charities are dedicated to making lives better,” Chairman Milanovich says. “It’s an honor for the Tribe to support so many important efforts and organizations throughout Coachella Valley and beyond.” During his career, Chairman Milanovich was named as one of Palm Springs Life’s 40 Under 40, a group of impressive young professionals with promise to achieve greatness in the Coachella Valley. In addition, he was also recognized by The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development with a Native 40 under 40 Award. Prior to his service on Tribal Council, Chairman Milanovich served as a Tribal Council Proxy in 2013 and served for more than two years on the Tribe’s Scholarship Commission. In addition, he served for two years on the Board of Directors for the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum. Chairman Milanovich earned his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from California Baptist University and resides in Palm Springs. Reid D. Milanovich, Chairman Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians 5401 Dinah Shore Drive Palm Springs, CA 92264 (760) 699-6925 Kate Anderson kanderson@aguacaliente-nsn.gov www.aguacaiente-nsn.gov MARK ANTON AAP – Food Samaritans C.E.O. / Executive Director Making A Di erence Mark is particularly proud of the fact that regardless of the challenges the organization has faced, including COVID-19, AAP has never once missed distributing food vouchers to its clients. He has done this with one part-time sta member and the help of a devoted cadre of volunteers. In 2015 he expanded AAP’s services to include low-income people suering from other chronic illnesses such as cancer, MS, and heart or liver disease while continuing to serve those living with HIV/AIDS. He has been a champion of AAP’s mission and of its clients like no other. BILL BAKER The Solar Initiative Founder Making A Di erence Bill Baker founded The Solar Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, to educate homeowners on solar’s cost eciencies and environmental benefits. He holds weekly seminars in Indio, Palm Desert, and Palm Springs to highlight the advantages of solar energy. Recognizing financial disparities in the Coachella Valley, Bill also sponsors monthly live-aid concerts to support families in need. All proceeds are distributed by Jewish Family Service of the Desert, a trusted nonprofit, exclusively to families with the Coachella Valley. The Solar Initiative blends environmental advocacy with community support to make a lasting impact in the region. RANDY BARTH Think Together Founder & CEO Making A Di erence Randy Barth founded Think Together in 1997 with the mission to partner with schools to change the odds for kids. Think Together serves over 36,000 students in Riverside County, including students in Palm Springs Unified School District. Emerging from the challenges of the pandemic, the students Think Together serves are facing more obstacles than ever before. The impact on their mental health and social development has been significant. Academic performance across the country has dipped to levels not seen in 30 years. Think Together is investing in developing the curriculum and supports necessary to get students back on track and thriving. FRED BELL Palm Springs Air Museum Vice Chairman Making A Di erence When you think of people making a dierence, Missionaries, bestselling authors, and CEO’s of nonprofits come to mind. The selfless unsung heroes like your parents, the elderly lady at church who puts in countless hours, the friend who lives hours away. None of them have millions of followers. None of them head huge organizations. But God called them. People who are not in the spotlight are the ones that change lives and change the World. Not deterred by time or lack of recognition, they have actually cared. Those are the people who make a dierence. RON BERGER The Desert Tortoise Conservancy, Inc. President Making A Di erence Our mission is to preserve, protect, and perpetuate the Desert Tortoise, a species whose survival is threatened by human activity. We achieve this goal by raising awareness, educating the public about the role we’ve played in the tortoise’s significant population decline. Key is establishment of a facility in Palm Springs which will serve as a hub for educational outreach and a re-homing center for tortoises in need. Providing a space for rehabilitation and engagement should foster a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by these remarkable creatures and steps we can take to ensure their future.