Desert Charities - Women in Philanthropy

Estefania Contreras Girls Rising Marketing Specialist Making A Dierence Girls Rising is a transformative mentorship program aimed at empowering girls and young women to unleash their full potential and become confident leaders of tomorrow. Our program cultivates confidence, connection, and sisterhood and allows ours Mentees to develop a strong relationship with a female role-model. Through female-focused mentorship and monthly events, our Mentees develop critical skills, gain invaluable insights, and build long-lasting connections that help them navigate social and economic barriers. As a Coachella Valley native, I am honored to have the opportunity to expand this program to the desert cities and drive positive change in the community! Pamela Congdon California CareForce Founder Making A Dierence I thought patients would be homeless when I first volunteered at a clinic. I quickly realized that many men, women, seniors, and veterans need help with dental and vision services regardless of employment and living status. Everyone deserves quality healthcare without the need to choose between food on the table or basic dental and vision needs. I founded California CareForce to rally dental, vision, and medical professionals to oer free services to anyone regardless of their situation. I’m proud California CareForce has made a dierence by providing over $6.2 million of services to 15,500 residents since 2011. Angelina Coe Shelter From The Storm, Inc. Executive Director Making A Dierence Working in the nonprofit sector for the past 27 years I helped provide a voice to those being silenced by domestic violence, sexual assault, and homelessness. Servicing as the Executive Director of Shelter From The Storm since 2012, I continue to see firsthand the impact we make by believing and supporting survivors. SFTS provides survivors with not only a safe haven but comprehensive supportive services to help them learn to break the cycle of violence in their lives; find safety and support in our community. Togeth- er we can provide hope and support for those in our community enduring unbelievable challenges. Yvonne Choyce Little Seeds Matter Founder / CEO Making A Dierence Yvonne Choyce is the Founder/CEO of Little Seeds Matter, a 501c3 organization dedicated to creating and supporting multiple platforms for programming & community outreach opportunities that provide early intervention and early child development education, activities, resources, and public health information, for families with children ages 0 to 5, in under resourced communities within Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Yvonne is also CEO, Program & Resource Developer, and Children’s Book Author for My Healthy Reader (MHR) LLC. The MHR organization creates early intervention resources and provides literacy, health & wellness family engaged programs that promote healthy choices, healthy habits, and health behaviors. Rene Dell’ Acqua Chapman Dell’Acqua Dental Studio Philanthropist Making A Dierence I was raised by philanthropic parents who taught me from a very young age that giving back to your community is important. When you make a dierence in someone’s life, you not only impact their life, you impact everyone influenced by them throughout their lifetime. For me there is nothing more rewarding than knowing that I have made a dierence in someones life. Our community oers so many opportunities to get involved. We have so many meaning- ful charities. It has been an honor to serve on several dierent boards over the years. Liz Chambers Planned Giving College of the Desert Foundation Making A Dierence I feel privileged to be able to assist so many create legacies that will fund futures at College of the Desert. These folks are the most generous I’ve ever met. They are dedicated to helping provide educational opportunities for all COD students, both current and future. It is their bequests that will ensure our Valley has the best trained nurses, accountants, chefs, firefighters, public safety, childcare workers, and business leaders to strengthen our community and our economy. Planned giving is my profession, my passion, and my way of Making A Dierence. Michelle Cates Partners Against Violence Executive Director Making A Dierence I am proud to lead our team of passionate sta, advocates, and volunteers who provide services to survivors of sexual violence, their families, and our community 24/7. Community members can reach a trained advoacte at 760-568-9071. We are a diverse group of residents and community members. Our work is vital to helping those in need right here in our own community. Violence is preventable, and we lead by advocating for policy that seeks to promote dignity, respect, and the prevention of violence in our community. We are partnering to build healthy relationships, families, communities, and generations free from violence. Claudia Castorena Galilee Center CFO/Cofounder Making A Dierence During the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, Galilee has positively impacted hundreds of low-income East CV residents. By oering much-needed services, we have helped many families succeed in their eorts to better their lives. In the last year, Galilee provided food security for 250 families weekly. We oered rental and utility assistance to more than 1,200 families, infant services (diapers and baby formula) to 450 babies, and senior services to more than 260 seniors. I am proud of the work we do at Galilee Center for the farmworkers, who are an essential part of our local community. WOMEN IN PHILANTHROPY - PAGE 4 DESERT CHARITIES NEWS

Desert Charities - Women in Philanthropy - Oct-Nov-Dec 2023