Multiple Palm Springs businesses are teaming with FIND Food Bank in September to observe Hunger Action Month and raise funds.
The campaign kicked off last week and is particularly timely in the Coachella Valley because prolonged unemployment, record heat waves, and the end of unemployment benefits have hit the region particularly hard. Still, the service-based industries here are used to stepping up.
“Our desert region is unique because of the natural spirit of service,” reflects Debbie Espinosa, CEO of FIND Food Bank. “Our food lines increased by 110 percent last summer, and this year it remains 60 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels. Residents want to care for their neighbors, whether that means sharing the food they received at a distribution, volunteering in triple-digit heat to ensure no one goes hungry, and donating generously to put a meal on everyone’s plates.
“This culture of care helped us to double the amount of food we distributed this last year to strengthen our resilient communities.”
Among the efforts this month in Palm Springs:
- Grounded Bodyworks, 1701 N. Palm Canyon Dr., hosted a food drive and vendor event last week. Participants brought canned goods to the business and received up to 20 percent off purchases.
- The Kimpton Rowan Hotel, 100 W. Tahquitz Canyon Way, is lighting up orange for the whole month of September to bring awareness to the cause. Orange is the color of hunger awareness.
- PS UNDERGROUND, 1700 S. Camino Real, is hosting a special event on September 26 from 6 PM until 9 PM. The venue is offering a multi-course Sunday supper-themed dining experience with FIND Food Bank President Debbie Espinosa. It includes a four-course feast of Chef Dave’s creation, free-flowing house red and white wine, specialty cocktails, and a secret surprise evening of entertainment. Tickets are $125 per person. More information is available either online here or by calling the venue at 760-636-8442
- Eight4Nine Restaurant & Lounge, 849 N. Palm Canyon Dr., is donating 50 percent ($7 donation per drink) from each one of their signature drinks — The EIGHT4NINE — sold in September to FIND Food Bank.
- Ace Hotel & Swim Club, 701 E. Palm Canyon Dr., is donating $1 for every Cactus Rosa cocktail it sells during the month of September.
You can find a complete list of business participating in Hunger Action Month in the Coachella Valley here.
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BRIEFLY
DONATIONS POUR IN: The Palm Springs American Legion Post 519 collected just over $1,000 during VillageFest last week for the Riverside County Deputy Sheriffs Memorial Fund in honor of Corporal Hunter Lopez. The 22-year-old was one of three Southern California Marines, including two from Riverside County, who were among 13 service members killed in a suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 26. Lopez was the son of Riverside County sheriff’s Deputy Alicia Lopez and sheriff’s Capt. Herman Lopez of Indio. Multiple efforts are underway throughout the Coachella Valley to aid the family and tributes are planned.
INTERSTATE WORK: Nighttime road work and associated lane and ramp closures are scheduled to continue this week along Interstate 10 between Beaumont and the Coachella Valley. Crews have been gradually making improvements to nearly 20 miles of freeway between Beaumont and Highway 111 near Palm Springs as part of the I-10 Pavement Rehabilitation Project, also called the I-10 Tune-Up, for more than a year and a half. Alternating lane and ramp closures that started Sunday are to continue through Thursday from 7 PM to 6:30 AM each day westbound along the entire length of the project and eastbound between Beaumont and Banning.
THIS WEEK’S EVENTS
TODAY
OPEN, CLOSED, ALTERED: All city, county, state, and federal government offices are closed today in observance of Labor Day. In addition, post offices, financial institutions, schools and colleges, as well as libraries, are also closed, as are some private postal services and the Mizell Center. Trash service in the city will be delayed one day this week. On Sunday, Sunline Transit resumed Level 1 Service, which is full service. It had been operating at Level 3 Service, which limited buses to Sunday service schedules, since the start of January. Most major stores and supermarkets are open regular hours. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which closes tomorrow for its annual maintenance, will operate today with the first tram up at 8 AM and last tram down at 9 PM.
TUESDAY
MIZELL EVENTS: The Mizell Center, 480 S. Sunrise Way, offers multiple classes today, starting at 8 AM. Included in today’s offerings are a tribal belly dancing fitness class. For more information about all of today’s offerings, click here.
DESERT WATER MEETING: The Desert Water Agency Board of Directors meets virtually at 8 AM. Information about viewing the meeting or participating, as well as a complete agenda, can be found here.
LIBRARY CRAFTS: The public is invited to pick up materials needed for this month’s Palm Springs Public Library craft project. The library is located at 300 S. Sunrise Way and is open from 10 AM until 6 PM. This month’s craft project celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month and will be demonstrated on Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY
MIZELL EVENTS: Programs at the Mizell Center today include Dick Brodie’s Jam Session, an Anthem Blue Cross information table, and beginning Spanish. The center is located at 480 S. Sunrise Way, and events begin at 8 AM. For a complete list of today’s offerings, click here.
LIBRARY CRAFTS: The public is invited to tune in for this month’s Palm Springs Public Library craft project. This month’s craft project celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month as Children’s Librarian Nancy Valdivia will demonstrate how to make a sombrero on YouTube, starting at 10 AM.
HORA DE CUENTOS: La bibliotecaria Nancy Valdivia lee cuentos, canta canciones y enseña conceptos de aprendizaje temprano (miércoles en español y jueves en inglés) de 10:30 AM a 11:30 AM en el salón de cuentos para jóvenes de la Biblioteca Pública de Palm Springs. Puedes ver los videos en YouTube aquí. La biblioteca está ubicada en 300 S. Sunrise Way.
MEMOIR BASICS: The Palm Springs Public Library is offering a program titled, “Memoir Writing Basics: How Did I Get Here? Capturing Your Memories One Page at a Time,” via Zoom, starting at 3 PM. The event is facilitated by author Kathy Weyer and requires registration. You can register by emailing julie.warren@palmspringsca.gov or calling 760-416-6731. For a complete list of the monthly memoir writing classes offered at the library, turn here.
MOBILE HEALTH: A mobile health clinic will be parked at the James O. Jesse Desert Highland Unity Center, 480 W. Tramview Rd., today from 9 AM until 4 PM. Operated and staffed by Borrego Health, the mobile unit will provide a variety of medical services for residents, such as family medicine, women’s health and pregnancy tests, immunizations and physicals for school, HIV/STI testing, COVID-19 testing, labs, and more.
THURSDAY
MIZELL EVENTS: The Mizell Center, 480 S. Sunrise Way, offers exercise classes, informational programs, and other events for members today, starting at 8 AM. Among the offerings is a movie titled, I Am Woman, starting at 10:30 AM in the Noia Auditorium, and jewelry making at 10:30 AM in the Hearst Room. Today’s complete schedule can be found here.
SOLAR AND GREEN BUILDING: The city’s Sustainability Commission Standing Subcommittee on Solar and Green Building meets at 9:30 AM via Zoom. Information about viewing that meeting or participating can be found here.
STORY TIME: The Palm Springs Public Library offers story time for preschoolers starting at 10:30 AM via YouTube. Librarian Nancy Valdivia reads stories, sings songs, and shows early learning concepts (Wednesdays in Spanish and Thursdays in English). You can find more information here, and watch the YouTube videos here.
BOOK CLUB: The Cover to Cover Book Club meets on Zoom, starting at 10:30 AM. This week, the club is discussing The Night Watchman, by Louise Erdrich. Most titles are available as downloadable audiobooks or eBooks from the Palm Springs Public Library. To receive meeting information and join the email list for the Cover to Cover Book Club, please email Sharon Ballard in advance of the meeting at sharon.ballard@palmspringsca.gov.
WASTE REDUCTION: The city’s Sustainability Commission Standing Subcommittee on Waste Reduction meets at 2 PM via Zoom. Information about viewing that meeting or participating can be found here.
NOT TEEN TALK: The Palm Springs Public Library’s teen librarian hosts an Instagram Live session each Thursday at 3:30 PM. To follow along, follow @psplteenzone on Instagram here.
FOOD AVAILABLE: FIND Food Bank distributes food in the city today at multiple locations. From 5 PM until 6:30 PM, food is available at the James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center, 480 W. Tram View Rd. Food is also available at the community food bank, 610 S. Belardo Rd., between 5 PM and 7 PM. A complete calendar of food distribution in the community this month is available here.
FREE MUSEUM ADMISSION: The Palm Springs Art Museum offers free admission from 5 PM to 7 PM this evening. Tickets are required and can be obtained here.
CITY COUNCIL: The Palm Springs City Council meets starting at 5:30 PM, following an executive session that starts at 3 PM. The meeting is broadcast on the city’s local television channel and YouTube. A complete agenda can be found here.
VILLAGEFEST: The city’s weekly outdoor street fair takes place at 7 PM on Palm Canyon Drive between Amado Road and Tahquitz Canyon Way. The event includes vendor booths on both sides of the street, which is closed to vehicular traffic. At this time, face coverings are required for all who attend, regardless of vaccination status.
FRIDAY
MIZELL EVENTS: Wii bowling, fitness classes, and Mah Jongg are offered today at the Mizell Center, 480 S. Sunrise Way, starting at 8 AM. Today’s complete schedule can be found here.
ONGOING
VOTING OPEN: Our partners at The Coachella Valley Independent have started the process of determining the best of the best in the Coachella Valley for 2021-2022 and need your help. Nominations are currently being accepted via fill-in-the-blank voting through September 13. After that, the top vote-getters in each category move on to the final round of voting, and winners are announced on November 22. To nominate a business or person in any one of multiple categories, start here.
LIBRARY CARD DRIVE: The Palm Springs Public Library is running its annual library card drive during the month of September. Library cards are free to residents of California and offer many advantages other than being able to reserve and check out books. Ready for a library card? Just head to this site to register.
TRAM CLOSED: The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway closes for its annual maintenance starting September 7. If all goes well, it should reopen on October 4. This year, in addition to routine maintenance, staff at the tram said one of the track ropes will be repositioned. That maintenance is done every 12 years. The pendant ropes, along with their linings and bushings, will also be changed.
FILM FESTIVAL: All-access passes, six-packs, and individual tickets are now on sale for Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs LGBTQ+ Film Festival, held September 16 through 30 at the Historic Camelot Theatres at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2100 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way. This year, Cinema Diverse is offering a multi-platform experience with films available virtually and at the theater. Complete information about tickets for this year’s event can be found here. Sponsorship opportunities can be found here.
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Want to know what’s happening in your city and at agencies that make decisions affecting your neighborhood? See below for calendars, meeting agendas, and links to all city services, police reports, code enforcement reports, and more:
City of Palm Springs calendar of events | Official city contacts
Palm Springs Public Library calendar of events
Palm Springs Unified School District calendar | Board meetings
Desert Healthcare District Board of Directors meeting agendas
Mizell Center calendar of events
Police reports | Submit a police report
Code compliance reports | Report a code violation
Current road projects and closures
Palm Springs Disposal pickup schedule | Holiday schedules
Currently active development projects
