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More Healing with Chiropractic

by Steven Henke

More Healing with Chiropractic 

DAP Health added a new doctor to its Chiropractic team, a move to make it easier for patients to get care. Alyssa Romero, DC, brings clinical expertise with a background in sports medicine, and a passion to help people heal in a community setting. 

“We're confident Dr. Romero coming on board will alleviate some of the scheduling pressure and shorten wait times,” says Dr. Jim Cox, head of DAP Health Chiropractic Clinic.  

Dr. Romero’s work first impressed Dr. Cox when they worked together in the mobile Chiropractic Clinic during AIDS/LifeCycle. 

Both were part of the medical team monitoring more than 2,500 cyclists and an additional 600 roadies as they completed the 545-mile journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Set up at various checkpoints along the way, they needed to be ready for anything. 

Dr. Romero handled a lot of patient intake.  

“It's a daunting task that she handled with professionalism and grace,” says Dr. Cox. “Always a smile on her face, expressing genuine concern for anyone's needs.” 

The experience at AIDS/LifeCycle showed that Dr. Romero is suited for the patient-focused care that DAP Health provides. 

“I noticed her immediate grasp of any job at hand and the ability to connect with people, “ says Dr. Cox. “She'll do just fine in the busy setting that DAP can often be.” 

Dr. Romero described how her experience with Dr. Cox during AIDS/LifeCycle made her want to work with him full time.   

A cyclist hobbled over to our treatment tent in quite a bit of distress and needed treatment immediately, she says.  

“We rushed him back and Dr. Cox actually worked on his lower back in order to get him out of the acute pain so he could ride that day,” says Dr. Romero.  

“He is one of the most caring people I have met, and he genuinely loves to help patients get better,” she says. “He brings a smile and laughter to work, and that energy is what made me want to work alongside him at DAP Health.” 

The level of help DAP gives its patients and clients also was a motivator for Dr. Romero. A surprise to many, DAP helps with food and housing insecurity, joblessness, isolation, and ongoing health care.  

“I was like, I want to be a part of that too!” she says.  

A Coachella Valley native, Dr. Romero is putting her sports medicine expertise to good use to help non-athletes make their bodies function better.  

“I might not be doing sports-related things here in this office, but I still have to teach patients how to properly sit, to stand and have form,” she says.  

For her patients who are piecing together how to embrace living without masks and getting more exercise, she has sound advice.  

“It is important to remember to listen to your body, gradually increase your activity level, find an exercise activity you love and simply do it more.” 

DAP Health patients can request chiropractic appointments on MyChart or by calling (760) 323-2118. 

Transcendental Meditation at DAP Health

by Dustin Gruber

Transcendental Meditation at DAP Health 

March 14, 2022

As part of its ethos to treat the whole person – mind, body, and spirit – DAP Health is now offering free Transcendental Meditation (TM), courses.  TM, a simple mental technique, has been shown to improve awareness, memory, and creativity while reducing tension and anxiety. By reducing deep-rooted stress and fatigue, it increases energy and resiliency, and improves overall health. 

The course is free to patients and employees of DAP Health, and will be offered monthly, consists of four one-hour lessons held over four consecutive days. The first session is a one-to-one meeting with the teacher followed by three subsequent group classes.  All classes must be attended.  No prior experience, equipment, or clothing is required.

It's a simple, natural, effortless technique. It’s very practical,” said Thomas Roth, Director of the David Lynch Foundation HIV Wellness Initiative, who is leading the program at DAP Health.  “We work it into our daily routine: 20 minutes in the morning before breakfast, 20 minutes in the evening before dinner and go about your day.”  Roth, who has been meditating since he was 13 years-old, added, “Forget that you meditated. It's not like we need to remember, ‘oh, I should be kinder because I'm a meditator.’  It's not like that at all. We just do it, and we forget about it and the results come naturally.”

While many forms of meditation focus on mindfulness, TM goes beyond that to take the brain to a very quiet place which expands consciousness. “Everybody knows that we're using 10% of our potential,” said Roth. “So, this takes us to those quieter states of our mind, where we can tap into that creativity and intelligence and bring that out into our daily life.” 

Roth continued, “The other thing that's fantastic is the side effects; what goes on in the body. When the mind becomes quieter and quieter, correspondingly, because of that mind-body connection, the body attains, a very deep state of rest.”  According to Roth, the level of relaxation that is achieved can be twice as deep as the deepest sleep during the night. “The result of that is release of stress. Rest is the antidote to stress. None of us are getting enough rest. I can say that as a rule,” Roth said.  “So, this adds a very powerful, yet simple and effortless technique to attain a deep state of rest and eliminate stress.”

Scientific research backs up TM’s claim’s of reducing tension and increasing resiliency. “There's been 350 peer reviewed, published scientific studies on transcendental meditation. It's by far the most thoroughly researched process of personal development on the planet,” said Roth.  “It's something that's substantiated by research.”

“We give the body deep rest and naturally, anxiety is reduced. Tension is reduced. All the symptoms of stress are reduced,” Roth said. “At the same time, what it creates is an anchor in that quietness inside. We don't feel like we're a football being thrown around in life.  It’s a deep anchor in our own consciousness and that gives us more perspective. It gives us stability and little time to ourselves to re-energize.”

To sign up or learn more about DAP Health’s Transcendental Mediation program, contact Thomas Roth at [email protected] or call or text 415-547-0486.

Amazon Presents The Chase 2022

by Steven Henke

DAP Health Announces Amazon as Presenting Sponsor of 'The Chase'   

A Fresh Mix of Entertainers will Perform at the Gala

When the 2022 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards 'The Chase' returns as an all in-person event on April 9, outdoors, at the Palm Springs Convention Center it will be generously presented by Amazon. 

Amazon currently employs more than 40,000 community members in the Inland Empire and the Coachella Valley. This donation to DAP Health signals an even deeper engagement with the community, illustrating the company's commitment to being a good neighbor. 

“This is our home” explains David Ambroz, Amazon’s head of community engagement in the Inland Empire, himself a former homeowner in Palm Springs. “We recently toured the DAP Health campus and saw firsthand how the organization was applying the lessons learned from the AIDS crisis to fill the gaps of today’s health care needs. We were impressed by their innovative solutions to provide comprehensive care to residents of the valley.” 

During that tour, Ambroz also recognized an alignment with one of DAP Health’s core values – inclusivity. Amazon’s ability to innovate on behalf of its customers relies on the perspectives and knowledge of people from all backgrounds. 

Amazon believes that building a culture that is welcoming and inclusive is integral to people doing their best work and is essential to what they can achieve as a company.  The company has 13 affinity groups (employee resource groups) with more than 87,000 employees across hundreds of chapters around the world.  

DAP Health CEO, David Brinkman is especially excited to include Amazon’s LGBTQ+ affinity group, the Glamazons as volunteers at the gala. The group became an official part of Amazon in 2005, adding itself to a list that includes other empowering groups. Amazon has a long history in supporting equality, affirming and including LGBTQ+ employees.”We’ve been serving the LGBTQ+ community and welcoming all people. Period. since 1984.” Brinkman says. “We are grateful that the Glamazons want to lend their support to The Chase this year.” 

Los Angeles events company JJLA has been tagged to lead that reinvention focusing on an evening filled with entertainment and experiential activations around the outdoor floorplan.   

“JJLA is thrilled to work with DAP Health in bringing back the acclaimed Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards in an exciting and reimagined new way as 'The Chase'. Guests will be welcomed to a lively cocktail and hors d'oeuvres experience with special photo opportunities before being seated in a multi-stage setting for the awards program. The evening will feature legendary performers and exciting up-and-coming talent sure to leave guests excited and thrilled to be back celebrating at one of the desert community's most iconic events.” says Jeff Consoletti, JJLA Founder, Principal & CEO. 

Attendees of The Chase can expect a fast-paced evening hosted by Michael Urie and featuring performances by Deborah Cox, Max von Essen, Eden Espinosa, Spencer Ludwig, and Seth Rudetksy  

Event host Michael Urie played the role of Marc St. James on “Ugly Betty” and was most recently seen in the Public Theatre’s revival of Tony Kushner’s A Bright Room Called Day, followed by the Broadway premiere of Bess Wohl’s Grand Horizons. Prior to that, he starred in the Tony Award-nominated Broadway revival of Harvey Fierstein Torch Song, following his critically acclaimed performance in the off-Broadway production at Second Stage, earning Lucille Lortel Award and Drama League Award nominations. Michael originated the role of Alex More in Jonathan Tolins’ Buyer & Cellar Off-Broadway, on tour, and in London, for which he received the Drama Desk Award, Clarence Derwent Award, the Lucille Lortel Award, LA Drama Critics Award, and nominations for the Drama League and Outer Critics Circle Awards. He has acted in and directed numerous films. 

Max von Essen is a Tony, Drama Desk, and Grammy-nominated singer and actor best known for his role as Henri in the award-winning production of An American in Paris on Broadway. Most recently, he completed a yearlong run in the Broadway production of Anastasia and then toured the country in Lincoln Center Theater's revival of Falsettos. . Max's concert work has brought him across North America, including The Kennedy Center, Birdland Jazz Club, and a recent solo debut at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops. 

Deborah Cox possesses one of the most powerful and versatile contemporary voices of our time. The Grammy Award-nominated, multi-platinum R & B/Pop recording artist and actress recently blew the roof off theatres as she starred in the Rachel Marron role originally played by Whitney Houston in the new musical “The Bodyguard”. She made her Broadway debut in the leading role in Elton John and Time Rice’s musical “Aida”, receiving rave reviews.  

Since beginning her career as a background singer for Celine Dion, Deborah has recorded six award-winning and critically acclaimed albums and has written for and been recorded on numerous soundtracks. As with Whitney Houston, Deborah’s first recording contract was with Clive Davis at Arista Records and that self-titled debut album went platinum, earning her an American Music Award nomination. The Canadian-born star has an impressive list of #1 Billboard hit records, including thirteen #1 songs on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart. 

Eden Espinosa is most recognized for her critically acclaimed portrayal of Elphaba in "Wicked" on Broadway and in Los Angeles and San Francisco. 

Other credits include originating the title character in "Brooklyn the Musical", Flora in "Flora the Red Menace," and Maureen in the closing company of "Rent" on Broadway. Eden also originated the role of Sadie Thompson in the world premiere of "Rain", at the Old Globe Theater.  

Seth Rudetsky is the afternoon host on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio’s ON BROADWAY as well as the host of SETH SPEAKS on Sirius/XM Stars. As a pianist, Seth has played for more than a dozen Broadway shows including RAGTIME, LES MIZ, and PHANTOM. He was the Artistic Producer/Music Director for the first five annual Actors Fund Fall Concerts including DREAMGIRLS with Audra MacDonald (recorded on Nonesuch Records) and HAIR with Jennifer Hudson (recorded on Ghostlight Records, Grammy Nomination). In 2007 he made his Broadway acting debut playing Sheldon (singing “Magic to Do” in a devastating unitard) in THE RITZ directed by Joe Mantello for The Roundabout Theater.  

Spencer Ludwig is a Latin Grammy-winning and Grammy performing trumpeter, songwriter, producer, and musical director. Since being the original trumpeter in the multi-platinum band Capital Cities, the Los Angeles-born, half-Filipino vocalist-instrumentalist has gone rogue, adding a new dimension of possibility to not only his sonic weapon of choice but to pop music, overall and in 2019 he earned himself a Latin Grammy for co-writing and performing on Fonseca’s album “Agustin”. In 2016 he was signed as a solo artist to Warner Records who released his debut single “Diggy” and launched his career through a global Target campaign.  

To buy tickets for The Chase or learn more about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, go to www.daphealth.org/thechase   

Co-chairs Kevin Bass, Lauri Kibby, and Scott Nevins are leading a reinvention of the evening promising that "We’re going to gala like never before."   

This year's honorees will reflect the community of volunteers and donors that supported DAP Health during the COVID-19 pandemic.   

“The evening will be fashionable and glamorous as attendees have come to expect, but we want the entire experience to feel new and exciting” explains DAP Health CEO, David Brinkman.  “We’re going to be mission-centric with our program this year, sharing vital information about our plans for the future of health care.”   

Beginning at 5:00 p.m. and ending at 10:00 p.m. the evening will fund the ongoing mission of DAP Health (formerly Desert AIDS Project) and introduce attendees to the organizations' Vision Forward plan to expand its campus to serve more than 25,000 individuals. 

The Need is Great   

Most view and experience the Coachella Valley as a sublime oasis. But for many, that pristine picture is far from reality. Our neighbors—people of color, people living with HIV/AIDS, people living in poverty, and trans individuals, many of whom have yet found their way to DAP Health—wrestle daily here with pain, sadness, and desperation.   

Because a community can only be as strong as its weakest member—as healthy as its sickest—it is crucial that we join forces so that barriers to health and wellness are abolished.    

After all, is it not the duty of those standing tall to lift up those who have fallen?   

How DAP Health is Poised to Help   

Founded in 1984 by a group of community volunteers in the face of the AIDS crisis, DAP Health is an internationally renowned humanitarian healthcare organization. In 2013, the non-profit expanded its scope to care for all marginalized people, regardless of HIV status.   

Our goal is to improve the overall health of our entire community—especially the disenfranchised—by providing culturally competent, quality primary and preventative health care and social services on one campus. These include infectious disease care, dentistry, and programs related to mental health, substance use recovery, and sexual wellness.   

The expertise, infrastructure, reputation, and donor base atop which DAP Health’s considerable success stands was bolstered by our more recent involvement providing for all those devastated in countless ways by the COVID-19 pandemic.    

Thanks to 38 years of caring for people directly and indirectly affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other public health emergencies, we have the physical and intellectual resources, the desire, and—most importantly—the imagination to effect even greater positive change in our beloved Coachella Valley community and beyond.   

The next epidemic has not yet been named. Just as DAP Health met HIV, HEP C, STIs, and COVID head-on, its team of infectious disease specialists stands ready to protect our community’s health and well-being. With 53% of our community not knowing their HIV status because they have never been tested, our commitment to ending the HIV epidemic and caring for individuals living with HIV will never waver.   

DAP Health Rises to Meet Core Challenges Today:   

Comprehensive health care access remains uneven. It’s estimated that 46% of our community lives below the federal poverty level. In communities of color, communities living in poverty, and in the LGBTQIA+ community, DAP Health is removing barriers to care to build a healthier tomorrow.   

The mental health crisis requires an intervention. DAP Health is doubling its capacity to deliver life-saving access to psychologists, therapists, and psychiatrists. We know mental health is health, but too many individuals experience shame in asking for the care they need and face challenges when they need it most.   

Addiction is a serious problem that requires a therapeutic solution. Substance use affects the individual and the family that loves them. DAP Health’s patient-centered model of care combines primary care, mental health, outpatient care, and traditional 12-step support groups that meet individuals where they are.   

Housing is health care. The housing and rental market have made shelter unaffordable for too many hard-working individuals. Some 2,300 of our neighbors experience homelessness on any given night. DAP Health is adding 61 additional affordable housing units to its campus, increasing its housing capacity by 75%.   

DAP Health has earned a national reputation as a one-of-a-kind advocacy-based health care organization. With an 11,000-square-mile service area – roughly the size of the state of Massachusetts – some clients travel from as far away as Blythe on the Arizona border, as well as from the cities, towns, and rural areas of San Bernardino, Riverside, and Imperial Counties.   

DAP serves over 10,000 patients today. By 2025, we will serve 25,000 in our expanded medical, dental, and mental health clinics while bringing our total of on-campus housing units to 141. Every month, over 100 new patients walk through the doors of DAP Health seeking quality and comprehensive health care. Because of YOU, those doors are always open.   

Tradition Meets Health Care Access   

For 28 years, The Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards ‘The Chase’ has raised millions of dollars for direct patient services at DAP Health while honoring Humanitarians from all corners of the globe. They are people who radiate compassion – who seem to have been born for a higher purpose. Their ex­ample reminds us that everyone can make a positive difference in the lives of others. Since our very beginning, over 36 years ago, DAP Health has listened to the community we serve and taken its lead in solving tomorrow's challenges. This year’s honorees share DAP Health's vision of health equity and justice. They are people who have led and continue to inspire others.   

With over 15,000 people in need of medical care in our region, DAP Health needs your help today to expand our services. First organized by and named for famed interior designer Steve Chase — also a DAP Health donor, volunteer, and board member — ‘The Chase’ is a highlight of the desert community’s social season! Just a few of the honorees, award presenters, and entertainers in the past years have included Ann-Margret, Annette Bloch, Diahann Carroll, Carol Channing, Kristin Chenoweth, Joan Collins, Melissa Etheridge, Queen Latifah, Andy Linsky, Wynonna Judd, George Hamilton, Tom Hanks, Senator Ted Kennedy, Patti LaBelle, Angela Lansbury, Judith Light, Shirley MacLaine, Bob Mackie, Barry Manilow, Harold Matzner, Liza Minnelli, Prof. Luc Montagnier, Megan Mullally, Pauley Perrette, Debbie Reynolds, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Dionne Warwick   

Your presence at the 28th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, be­yond supporting our honorees, also signals your continued support for DAP Health’s patients and clients. Attendees are humanitarians helping remove roadblocks to access for quality care and supportive services that allow our patients, who are your neighbors and friends, to live their fullest poten­tial.    

Presenting Sponsor: Amazon

Producing Sponsor: Eisenhower Health           

Major Sponsors: Desert Care Network, Steven Anders\The Elizabeth Firth Wade Endowment, Kevin Bass & Brent Bloesser, Jim Burba & Bob Hayes, The Desert Sun\Local IQ, Patrick Jordan, NBC Palm Springs, Steve Tobin & Johnny Krupa\Grace Helen Spearman Charitable Foundation

Star Sponsors: Neil Lane Couture, David Zippel & Michael Johnston

Supporting Sponsors: Bennion Deville, David Brinkman & Will Grimm, Jeff Consoletti & Rob Czechowicz, Eve Fromberg, Gilead Sciences, Inc, Lauri & Charles Kibby, Scott Nevins & Philip Hodges, Renaissance Palm Springs, Ann Sheffer & Bill Scheffler, Avita Pharmacy, Trina Turk, Walgreens, Western Wind Foundation, White Cross Pharmacy

Benefactor Sponsors: Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Karen & Tony Barone, Chill Bar, Coachella Valley Health Personal, Diageo, Living Out - Palm Springs, Pure Health, Revive Wellness

Patron Sponsors: AbbVie, Donald R. Beck, Desert Insurance Solutions, Bill & Virginia Goldberg, Heffernan Insurance Brokers, Janssen Therapeutics, Reaction Marketing & Promotions Inc., Riverside County c/o V Manuel Perez, Jean-Guy Lechance & John Williams

Media Sponsors: CV Independent, Gay Desert Guide, Palm Springs Life, PromoHomo.TV,  The Hollywood Times, The Standard Magazine 

  

About DAP Health     
DAP Health is an advocacy-based health center in Palm Springs, CA serving over 10,000 patients, offering medical and mental healthcare, STI testing and treatment, dentistry, pharmacy, and lab services. A variety of wraparound services enable patients to experience optimal health, including social services, support groups, alternative therapies, and other wellness services. Excellent HIV care is provided by the largest team of specialized clinicians in the area.       

DAP Health opened one of California’s first COVID clinics and hotlines to offer screening, testing, and treatment. DAP Health is also working to address social determinants of health that are causing negative health outcomes during this pandemic, like food and housing insecurity, joblessness, isolation, and access to ongoing healthcare.    

DAP Health's sexual health clinic offers judgment-free STI testing and treatment, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), and HIV and HCV testing. DAP Health has earned Charity Navigator’s highest rating for the twelfth consecutive year – landing DAP Health in the top 6% of nonprofits rated. The distinction recognizes that DAP Health exceeds industry standards in terms of financial health, accountability, and transparency.        

Visit www.daphealth.org to learn more.    

 

 

A Starry Night Benefitting a Humanitaria …

by Steven Henke

A Starry Night Benefitting a Humanitarian Giant 

Community members gather outside on DAP Health’s campus to honor late megadonor Annette Bloch and to pave the way toward healthcare and housing for all  

By Daniel Vaillancourt 

On the crisp, clear evening of Thursday, February 24, some 300 invited guests gathered under heaters in the courtyard of DAP Health’s campus for a very special event. The occasion was threefold. 

First, it was a memorial in honor of major donor Annette Bloch, widow of H&R Block co-founder Richard Bloch and an instrumental DAP donor who contributed more than five million dollars to the internationally known nonprofit over the last decade. Bloch passed away from cancer at the age of 94 in her hometown of Kansas City last year. 

The soirée also served to officially dedicate DAP’s newest structure, which neighbors chief headquarters the Barbara Keller LOVE Building, as the Annette Bloch CARE Building. 

Finally, it marked the ceremonial groundbreaking of Vista Sunrise II, DAP’s future on-campus affordable housing complex, its second such development of single-dwelling units, to number 60 in all. 

With cocktails and hors-d’oeuvres generously provided by Jerry Keller’s award-winning Lulu Catering & Events — Keller is a longtime benefactor of DAP; his late wife Barbara was the organization’s first female board of directors’ president — attendees were regaled by an enviable roster of speakers.  

Longtime, universally respected DAP CEO David Brinkman opened the night, speaking of how good it felt to be assembled, and of how Bloch valued togetherness. He also mentioned how important the expansion of DAP’s campus was to the late humanitarian. “I can see this community housing the homeless, providing medical care to those who cannot afford the cost of today’s healthcare system,” he said. “We are decreasing mortality and morbidity, improving the health of our community members, and decreasing healthcare costs. When Annette and I dreamt of achieving this in the Coachella Valley, she’d always say, ‘David, you’re going to replicate this model throughout our country.’ And I could just imagine what a driving force she was in her own family’s attainment of their dreams.” 

Bloch’s youngest daughter, Linda Lyon, then took to the podium, making the audience laugh with memories of her mother’s youth and young adulthood. She’d also brought along priceless images to accompany her speech. Lyon admitted she wasn’t sure how her mother would fare following her father’s 2004 death. “But she really came into her own,” she continued. “She loved life, she loved people, she lived large, but she always remembered something [my grandmother] said … ‘to those who have plenty, there’s a responsibility to give back.’” Lyon closed by saying she was channeling her mother, announcing the family foundation’s surprise gift of $1 million to fund DAP’s further campus amplification, which will culminate in a more than 50 percent increase in the number of clients it can serve annually, from some 10,000 to more than 25,000. 

Close friends of Annette, past DAP board member Terri Ketover and Mark Adams, spoke briefly about their personal connection to Bloch — Ketover referring to herself the late doyenne’s “faux sister” while Adams confessed his cherished memories of Bloch will “reside safely with me forever.” The pair then acknowledged the role former Desert Regional Medical Center CEO and DAP board member Carolyn Caldwell, alongside Supervisor V. Manuel Perez of Riverside County’s Fourth District, had in making the Annette Bloch CARE Building a reality. They then urged the crowd to raise their glass in recognition of the new building’s naming.  

Perez was next, speaking not only of his own pride in facilitating DAP’s purchase of the edifice formerly owned by the county, but of his admiration of community members who rose to the occasion to enable the funding and construction of Vista Sunrise II. “Together, you have done something quite profound through your support of DAP Health,” said Perez. “You’ve made it clear you understand that lack of affordable housing is one of the biggest factors that keeps people out of care, that prevents them from getting well and living their best life. And you removed those barriers.” 

Perez yielded the spotlight to longtime DAP client, Vista Sunrise I resident, and PromoHomoTV host and executive producer Nicholas Snow, who put a charming, human face on the importance a roof over one’s head has in the overall health of someone living with HIV/AIDS. He spoke of being in dire need of DAP’s assistance more than 10 years ago. “On the edge of homelessness, with no healthcare, very little money, no car, and very few possessions, I stepped into that building looking for help, a way to survive, a way to rediscover my reasons for living,” Snow said, noting he was speaking on the 21st anniversary of his sobriety. “Thank you for my home, thank you for my life.” 

Pedro S.G. Rodriguez, the executive director of DAP’s Vista Sunrise II building partner the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition appeared next. “All of us at CVHC are supremely dedicated to our mission because access to affordable housing is one of California’s — and particularly one of the Coachella Valley’s — greatest needs,” he stressed. “When the opportunity to partner with DAP Health on Vista Sunrise II arose, and we came to truly understand the organization’s campus model, we knew future residents were going to enjoy a quality of life that very few people in disenfranchised communities in America are fortunate enough to experience.” After acknowledging not only a few of his board members in attendance but invaluable partners such as the city of Palm Springs, the Riverside County Behavioral Health and the state of California No Place Like Home Funds, and Wells-Fargo Bank, Rodriguez said, “I think all that’s left for us to do is raise a glass in honor of the 60 future residents of Vista Sunrise II.” 

One of the Coachella Valley’s own, Oscar- and Grammy-nominated — and Tony Award-winning — lyricist, director, and producer David Zippel closed out the night, joking that participation order must have been determined alphabetically. He spoke of Bloch’s unquenchable joie de vivre and generosity, vowing, “She is sorely missed tonight, of course, and will be until each of our respective flames has been extinguished. But she will live on forever through her massive contributions to DAP, and for that I know we are all eternally grateful.” Zippel then led a moment of silence before the evening formally concluded, leaving guests to visit with one another and reminisce about Bloch and the importance of her legacy. 

“We could not have asked for a more perfect night,” says Brinkman. “From the weather and the stunning backdrop of our majestic mountains to the spirit of kinship and quality of the speeches, it was a remembrance worthy of Annette that catapulted all of us at DAP and in this community on the next step toward making her dreams a reality.” 

Read more about Annette Bloch in 'Gift of Giving'

Learn more about DAP Health's Vision Forward capital campaign

The Chase 2022 Press Release

by Steven Henke

DAP HEALTH ANNOUNCES NEW VISION FOR 'THE CHASE' 

 DAP Health announces the 2022 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards 'The Chase' returns as an all in-person event on April 9, outdoors, at the Palm Springs Convention Center. DAP Health is making it safer to come together for this yearly tradition, timing it for some of the season’s most ideal evening weather.  

To buy tickets for The Chase or learn more about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, go to www.daphealth.org/thechase  

Co-chairs Kevin Bass, Lauri Kibby, and Scott Nevins are leading a reinvention of the evening promising that "We’re going to gala like never before."  

This year's honorees will reflect the community of volunteers and donors that supported DAP Health during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Los Angles events company JJLA has been tagged to lead that reinvention focusing on an evening filled with entertainment and experiential activations around the outdoor floorplan.  

“JJLA is thrilled to work with DAP Health in bringing back the acclaimed Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards in an exciting and reimagined new way as 'The Chase'. Guests will be welcomed to a lively cocktail and hors d'oeuvres experience with special photo opportunities before being seated in a multi-stage setting for the awards program. The evening will feature legendary performers and exciting up-and-coming talent sure to leave guests excited and thrilled to be back celebrating at one of the desert community's most iconic events.” says Jeff Consoletti,  JJLA Founder, Principal & CEO. 

Headline entertainment and the evening’s host will be announced shortly.  

“The evening will be fashionable and glamorous as attendees have come to expect, but we want the entire experience to feel new and exciting” explains DAP Health CEO, David Brinkman.  “We’re going to be mission-centric with our program this year, sharing vital information about our plans for the future of health care.”  

Beginning at 5:00 p.m. and ending at 10:00 p.m. the evening will fund the ongoing mission of DAP Health (formerly Desert AIDS Project) and introduce attendees to the organizations' Vision Forward plan to expand its campus to serve more than 25,000 individuals.  

The Need is Great  

Most view and experience the Coachella Valley as a sublime oasis. But for many, that pristine picture is far from reality. Our neighbors—people of color, people living with HIV/AIDS, people living in poverty, and trans individuals, many of whom have yet found their way to DAP Health—wrestle daily here with pain, sadness, and desperation.  

Because a community can only be as strong as its weakest member—as healthy as its sickest—it is crucial that we join forces so that barriers to health and wellness are abolished.   

After all, is it not the duty of those standing tall to lift up those who have fallen?  

How DAP Health is Poised to Help  

Founded in 1984 by a group of community volunteers in the face of the AIDS crisis, DAP Health is an internationally renowned humanitarian healthcare organization. In 2013, the non-profit expanded its scope to care for all marginalized people, regardless of HIV status.  

Our goal is to improve the overall health of our entire community—especially the disenfranchised—by providing culturally competent, quality primary and preventative health care and social services on one campus. These include infectious disease care, dentistry, and programs related to mental health, substance use recovery, and sexual wellness.  

The expertise, infrastructure, reputation, and donor base atop which DAP Health’s considerable success stands was bolstered by our more recent involvement providing for all those devastated in countless ways by the COVID-19 pandemic.   

Thanks to 38 years of caring for people directly and indirectly affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other public health emergencies, we have the physical and intellectual resources, the desire, and—most importantly—the imagination to effect even greater positive change in our beloved Coachella Valley community and beyond.  

The next epidemic has not yet been named. Just as DAP Health met HIV, HEP C, STIs, and COVID head-on, its team of infectious disease specialists stands ready to protect our community’s health and well-being. With 53% of our community not knowing their HIV status because they have never been tested, our commitment to ending the HIV epidemic and caring for individuals living with HIV will never waver.  

DAP Health Rises to Meet Core Challenges Today:  

Comprehensive health care access remains uneven. It’s estimated that 46% of our community lives below the federal poverty level. In communities of color, communities living in poverty, and in the LGBTQIA+ community, DAP Health is removing barriers to care to build a healthier tomorrow.  

The mental health crisis requires an intervention. DAP Health is doubling its capacity to deliver life-saving access to psychologists, therapists, and psychiatrists. We know mental health is health, but too many individuals experience shame in asking for the care they need and face challenges when they need it most.  

Addiction is a serious problem that requires a therapeutic solution. Substance use affects the individual and the family that loves them. DAP Health’s patient-centered model of care combines primary care, mental health, outpatient care, and traditional 12-step support groups that meet individuals where they are.  

Housing is health care. The housing and rental market have made shelter unaffordable for too many hard-working individuals. Some 2,300 of our neighbors experience homelessness on any given night. DAP Health is adding 61 additional affordable housing units to its campus, increasing its housing capacity by 75%.  

DAP Health has earned a national reputation as a one-of-a-kind advocacy-based health care organization. With an 11,000-square-mile service area – roughly the size of the state of Massachusetts – some clients travel from as far away as Blythe on the Arizona border, as well as from the cities, towns, and rural areas of San Bernardino, Riverside, and Imperial Counties.  

DAP serves over 10,000 patients today. By 2025, we will serve 25,000 in our expanded medical, dental, and mental health clinics while bringing our total of on-campus housing units to 141. Every month, over 100 new patients walk through the doors of DAP Health seeking quality and comprehensive health care. Because of YOU, those doors are always open.  

Tradition Meets Health Care Access  

For 28 years, The Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards ‘The Chase’ has raised millions of dollars for direct patient services at DAP Health while honoring Humanitarians from all corners of the globe. They are people who radiate compassion – who seem to have been born for a higher purpose. Their ex­ample reminds us that everyone can make a positive difference in the lives of others. Since our very beginning, over 36 years ago, DAP Health has listened to the community we serve and taken its lead in solving tomorrow's challenges. This year’s honorees share DAP Health's vision of health equity and justice. They are people who have led and continue to inspire others.  

With over 15,000 people in need of medical care in our region, DAP Health needs your help today to expand our services. First organized by and named for famed interior designer Steve Chase — also a DAP Health donor, volunteer, and board member — ‘The Chase’ is a highlight of the desert community’s social season! Just a few of the honorees, award presenters, and entertainers in the past years have included Ann-Margret, Annette Bloch, Diahann Carroll, Carol Channing, Kristin Chenoweth, Joan Collins, Melissa Etheridge, Queen Latifah, Andy Linsky, Wynonna Judd, George Hamilton, Tom Hanks, Senator Ted Kennedy, Patti LaBelle, Angela Lansbury, Judith Light, Shirley MacLaine, Bob Mackie, Barry Manilow, Harold Matzner, Liza Minnelli, Prof. Luc Montagnier, Megan Mullally, Pauley Perrette, Debbie Reynolds, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Dionne Warwick  

Your presence at the 28th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, be­yond supporting our honorees, also signals your continued support for DAP Health’s patients and clients. Attendees are humanitarians helping remove roadblocks to access for quality care and supportive services that allow our patients, who are your neighbors and friends, to live their fullest poten­tial.   

PRODUCING: Eisenhower Health  

MAJOR: Steven Anders/The Elizabeth Firth Wade Endowment, Kevin Bass & Brent Bloesser / Jim Burba & Bob Hayes, Desert Care Network, The Desert Sun \ Local IQ, NBC Palm Springs, Steve Tobin & Johnny Krupa and The Grace Helen Spearman Charitable Foundation  

SUPPORTING: Acqua California Bistro & Lulu California Bistro, Diageo, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Scott Nevins & Philip Hodges, Walgreens         

BENEFACTOR: Revive Wellness      

PATRON: Desert Insurance Solutions, Reaction Marketing & Promotions Inc  

MEDIA: CV Independent, Gay Desert Guide, Palm Springs Life, PromoHomo.TV,  The Hollywood Times, The Standard Magazine  

 

About DAP Health  

  
DAP Health is an advocacy-based health center in Palm Springs, CA serving over 10,000 patients, offering medical and mental healthcare, STI testing and treatment, dentistry, pharmacy, and lab services. A variety of wraparound services enable patients to experience optimal health, including social services, support groups, alternative therapies, and other wellness services. Excellent HIV care is provided by the largest team of specialized clinicians in the area.      

DAP Health opened one of California’s first COVID clinics and hotlines to offer screening, testing, and treatment. DAP Health is also working to address social determinants of health that are causing negative health outcomes during this pandemic, like food and housing insecurity, joblessness, isolation, and access to ongoing healthcare.   

DAP Health's sexual health clinic offers judgment-free STI testing and treatment, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), and HIV and HCV testing. DAP Health has earned Charity Navigator’s highest rating for the twelfth consecutive year – landing DAP Health in the top 6% of nonprofits rated. The distinction recognizes that DAP Health exceeds industry standards in terms of financial health, accountability, and transparency.       

Visit www.daphealth.org to learn more.   

Contact: Steven Henke 

Director of Brand Marketing, DAP Health 

P: 612-310-3047  

E: [email protected] 

 

 

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Revivals and The Bobs

by Steven Henke

Fighting e-waste with “the Bobs” at Revivals 

Revivals Stores agrees with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and sees the value of electronics that can be reused, refurbished, or recycled to minimize the actual waste that might end up in a landfill. This helps prevent polluting at unprotected dump sites in the Coachella Valley, and at locations abroad where it might be shipped.  

There is good reason for this concern. Although electronics waste (e-waste) represents 2% of America's trash in landfills, it equals 70% of overall toxic waste, due to the presence of heavy metals. (EPA) 

The EPA also says donating used (but still operating) electronics for reuse helps prevent waste and pollution. Embracing resale extends the lives of valuable products and keeps them out of landfills. And if fewer new units need to be manufactured to meet consumer needs, our carbon footprint falls more. 

Revivals Stores has been fighting e-waste in the Coachella Valley for years by helping shoppers find useable electronics in great condition for a low price. But before items make it to the sales floor, sometimes they need to spend time in rehab with a pair of volunteer repairmen who have been compared to the dynamic duo.  

“The Bobs” help make Revivals Stores a go-to for historic electronics pieces that work like new, plus newer items ready for use. 

“We’re both electronic nerds,” Bob H. says.  

Busy year-round, their work receives extra attention during Palm Springs Modernism Week every February and October when period-specific pieces are in highest demand.  

“The Bobs” are driven to give back to their community by helping fight e-waste while expanding access to healthcare for patients at DAP Health.  

“We have a small footprint in our work area with the highest return for DAP Health, and all that money goes to services,” Bob L. explains. “You can't get much better than that.” 

Both say that volunteering for Revivals Stores has provided them with something meaningful and fulfilling, on top of their career accomplishments.  

“When I retired, I wanted to find something that enables me to have this feeling that I am giving back something to my community,” says Bob H. “You walk out of here at the end of the day and feel like you've accomplished something.” 

Volunteering helps Bob L. tap into motivation he felt during his earlier career.  

“I have tried to always find a place in my career that when we finish, the community's in a better position, people are healthier and they're safer.” 

Volunteering at Revivals gives that to him. 

“The thing about DAP Health is it has a very dynamic ability to respond to the needs in the community as they change, to evaluate them and deliver services, whether it's medical assistance or counseling or support.” 

For store locations or to learn more about Revivals, please visit their website: revivalsstores.com

Annette Bloch – The Gift of Giving

by Steven Henke
Annette Bloch at the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards

The Gift of Giving

For the late philanthropist Annette Bloch, sharing her blessings was a way of life 

By Daniel Vaillancourt 

Over the course of writing the show script for the last 11 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards for DAP Health (formerly Desert AIDS Project), I’ve had many encounters with the extraordinary humanitarian Annette Bloch, who passed away of cancer at the age of 94 in her hometown of Kansas City last year. 

The diminutive philanthropic powerhouse spent winter seasons in Palm Springs, first with husband Richard, of H&R Block fame, then later in life — following Richard’s death, also to cancer — with life partner Andrei T. Muresan. Bloch was a quite formidable presence in all corners of our community, attending benefits, volunteering, or dining out with dear friends. 

It’s at DAP Health’s biggest annual gala that I personally basked in her aura, coaching her at rehearsals or bantering backstage during the customarily star-studded show. At soirées such as these, Bloch was perennially coiffed, dressed, and bejeweled to the nines. And she was always a funny, utter joy. 

One evening in particular is forever etched in my mind. It was at the 2018 event, where Bloch was to appear onstage alongside DAP Health CEO David Brinkman to make an astounding gift of three million dollars. Brinkman had asked me if I could escort her into the spotlight. Moments before her name was announced, I turned to her in the dark of the wings and softly asked, “Are you ready?” “I’m ready,” she replied. I took her hand, which was freezing, providing her unique twist on that old “cold hands, warm hearts” adage. “Are you nervous, Annette?” I uttered. “I am,” she whispered back. “I hate speaking in public. But I just love to give!” 

And give she did. That night, long before, and long after. To DAP Health, to other causes and organizations in which she believed, but mostly, of herself to her beloved Andrei, her treasured family, and her dearest friends. 

We’ve asked a handful of them to share their most precious recollections of Bloch, below. 

 

Andrei T. Muresan 

Exercising was an intrinsic part of Annette’s lifestyle and of who she was. So the image that most often comes to mind when I think of Annette is her going to the gym and working out regardless of the weather or her mood. This discipline speaks to the fact that when Annette would commit to something, she would stay true to her commitment no matter what. And her smiling face all throughout the exercise routines — together with her adorable, colorful workout outfits — point to the idea that Annette always found a way to derive enjoyment, to have fun in a commitment. I think “discipline” and “fun” are the two words that would faithfully describe in a succinct manner the essence of Annette’s personality. 

 

David Brinkman 

Annette lived her life committed to the power of positive thinking. No matter the circumstance, she elected to spend more time contemplating the good. When COVID hit, she was grateful to be at home with Andrei, living full-time in the desert and Zooming with her family each and every Sunday. On the hottest days of summer, she’d say, “David, I am so lucky. The bright sun is beautiful, and I’m in the shade reading books on the patio. There is no place I’d rather be than here with Andrei.” While the last years of her life were not filled with the travel and parties she once lived for, she discovered pleasure in the pandemic’s requisite isolation. And through focusing on the positive, irrespective of COVID, she found the exuberant joy and gratitude by which she defined her life.  

 

Mark Adams 

I was always struck by how down-to-earth Annette was. She never forgot her roots in Philadelphia and was always so grateful and appreciative about her good fortune. That’s why she was so generous to others. She would always say, after a gift was announced, or after making some other philanthropic gesture, “I'm just glad I could do it.” She didn't need accolades or applause. She just wanted to help where and when she could. 

 

Kevin Bass  

It was an honor to call Annette Bloch one of my dearest friends. She was kind, sweet, smart, generous, energetic, funny, and one of the most loving people I have ever met. Her positive attitude and joy for life were contagious. I always knew where to find her in a crowd; she was the one surrounded by people — who flocked to her because of her positive energy and love of life, very much like Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone With the Wind.” The greatest lesson I learned from Annette: surround yourself with positive people. Life is too short for negativity. She was a force!!!! 

 

Carolyn Caldwell 

Annette was one of the kindest and most sincere individuals I’ve ever met. Even though she was a very successful individual, she had the ability to make everyone in her presence seem special. A few of my most special memories of her are when she held my face in her hands and told me that she loved me after I gave her flowers for her birthday. I stressed over what to give to someone who has everything for her birthday. I decided to purchase a very nice floral arrangement for her, and she was so overjoyed that I thought enough of her to buy her flowers. I also remember when she was hosting a dinner for my dear friends David Brinkman and Will Grimm before they were married on a weeknight. I told her that since I worked in Long Beach throughout the week, I really didn’t think I could attend. Once again, she held my face in her hands and said, “It would really mean a lot to David if you were there.” I was able to adjust my schedule in order to attend, seeing it meant so much to her and also wanting to be there for David and Will. However, the most memorable and special thing Annette ever did for my husband Daniel and me was that she and Andrei invited us to their home for dinner. She didn’t cater the meal but instead prepared everything from scratch. Since Daniel and I lived in Kansas City for eight years, we enjoyed a traditional KC BBQ dinner. It was such a lovely evening. I will never forget how she always made Daniel and me feel special. We both miss her terribly. 

 

Jerry Keller 

Annette was a kind, generous person and a wonderful friend! My wife Barbara and she were a formidable team in the charity world. Together, they provided immeasurable support for so many people in need in the Coachella Valley. Most importantly, Annette was a shining example of the joy one can spread as she fully enjoyed her amazing, long-lived life. 

 

Terri Ketover 

An amazing, generous woman, Annette was the most positive person I have ever known and the most devoted, thoughtful friend. Her beautiful smile was a true reflection of her personality and soul. I remember when I became the chair of the 100 Women program of DAP. In the more than five years since its inception, its membership had stalled in the mid-30s. I told Annette that my goal was to grow the group to at least 100, and began soliciting my friends, more than doubling the membership that year but still short of my goal. Annette decided my mission was her mission, and at that year's Steve Chase gala, when she was onstage being honored with the 100 Women Award, she took the opportunity to challenge the women present in the audience to stand and make the $1500 annual commitment to help me reach my goal. Forty women answered Annette’s call that night, raising more than $60,000 and growing the 100 Women ranks to 125! Annette will be remembered with love by all who were fortunate enough to know her and by all of the clients whose lives she impacted through her tremendous support of DAP. 

 

David Zippel 

In addition to being an inspiring philanthropist, Annette was a real-life Auntie Mame. She literally picked up my husband, Michael, and me at a cocktail party about 15 years ago. She said “You’re fun. I like fun people. Let’s spend time together.” And we did, having many adventures and travels with her and her partner Andrei. We all had dinner a few weeks before she passed away. Although she was being treated for cancer, she was having a good day and she was as vivacious, joyful, and upbeat as the day we met. Like we had done many times before, we “closed" the restaurant that night. Annette was an optimist and a fighter to the very end, and a role model of how to grab life with both hands and live it.  

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New campus space to be officially design …

by Steven Henke

DAP Health to Hold Special Tribute to the late Humanitarian & Philanthropist Annette Bloch

 

PALM SPRINGS, Monday, February 10, 2022 – DAP Health will hold a special tribute to longtime donor Annette Bloch from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 24, 2022. Members of the print and broadcast media are invited to attend.  

The on-campus, outdoor, by-invitation-only event —which 200 people are expected to attend — will feature appearances by DAP Health CEO David Brinkman, Bloch’s daughter (and head of her charitable foundation) Linda Lyon, longtime friends Terri Ketover and Mark Adams, Riverside County Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, DAP Health client, and PromoHomo.TV executive producer and host Nicholas Snow, Coachella Valley Housing Coalition Executive Director Pedro S.G. Rodriguez, and Oscar- and Grammy-nominated — and Tony-winning — lyricist, producer, and director David Zippel. 
 

Portions of the program will be devoted to officially dedicating DAP Health’s newest clinical space as The Annette Bloch CARE Building, and to marking the ceremonial groundbreaking of future on-campus affordable housing complex Visa Sunrise II, which will boast 60 units constructed in collaboration with Coachella Valley Housing Coalition. 
 

“Annette Bloch was a longtime cherished friend not only to DAP, but to me personally,” says Brinkman. “On the evening of February 24, some of the most important people to Annette, and to DAP, will come together to celebrate her life and to recognize her immense contributions to our organization. With the naming of The Annette Bloch CARE Building, not only do we wish to burnish her legacy, but we are ensuring that members of this community — her community — understand for decades to come just how pivotal a role she played at DAP.” 
 

About Annette Bloch 

Annette Bloch passed away of cancer at the age of 94 in her hometown of Kansas City last year. The diminutive philanthropic powerhouse spent winter seasons in Palm Springs, first with husband Richard, of H&R Block fame, then later in life — following Richard’s death, also to cancer — with life partner Andrei T. Muresan. Bloch was a quite formidable presence in all corners of our community, making charitable donations, attending benefits, volunteering, or dining out with dear friends. 

 

About Annette Bloch & DAP Health 

In 2012, Bloch donated $1 million to establish the Annette Bloch Cancer Care Center at DAP Health. In 2016, she announced a $3 million gift to fund the expansion of DAP Health's medical facilities. The gift enabled DAP to purchase the former Riverside County Health building on its campus. Its renovation is currently more than 50% complete and will ultimately enable DAP to go from serving 2,000 patients per year to more than 25,000 annually. 

About DAP Health 

DAP Health (DAP) is an advocacy-based health center in Palm Springs, CA serving over 10,000 patients, offering medical and mental healthcare, STI testing and treatment, dentistry, pharmacy, and lab. A variety of wraparound services enable patients to experience optimal health, including social services, support groups, alternative therapies, and other wellness services. Excellent HIV care is provided by the largest team of specialized clinicians in the area.     

DAP opened one of California’s first COVID clinics and hotlines to offer screening, testing, and treatment. DAP is also working to address social determinants of health that are causing negative health outcomes during this pandemic, like food and housing insecurity, joblessness, isolation, and access to ongoing healthcare.  

DAP’s sexual health clinic offers judgment-free STI testing and treatment, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), and HIV and HCV testing. DAP has earned Charity Navigator’s highest rating for the twelfth consecutive year – landing DAP in the top 6% of nonprofits rated. The distinction recognizes that DAP exceeds industry standards in terms of financial health, accountability, and transparency.      

Visit www.daphealth.org to learn more.      

DAP Health Condom Club Continues Communi …

by Steven Henke

DAP Health’s Condom Club Continues Community Outreach 

February 14 is National Condom Day 

Ray Perea saw the darkest days of the AIDS crisis when he worked as a bartender in San Francisco from the 70s through the 90s, as AIDS claimed numerous friends and customers.  

Thanks to advancements in modern medicine, HIV has become manageable for people who have access to care and are preventable through viral load suppression and with medications like PEP and PrEP.  

But that does not mean a service like DAP Health’s Condom Club has become obsolete. In 2019, with more than 2.5 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases, STDs reached a record high in the US for the sixth consecutive year. STDs include syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. As recently as 2018, Palm Springs was facing a syphilis outbreak.  

For years, DAP Health has provided free condoms and lube packets throughout the Coachella Valley, at bars and resorts, as requested by business owners, says Alonso Gonzalez, a community health educator who leads the condom club.  

“I think it’s great that DAP Health has continued to provide this service to organizations that need it,” says Ray Perea, a Condom Club volunteer for 19 years. “And I’m glad to see the organizations out there, the bars and the resorts, still wanting the packets to hand out and keep people safe, and making them aware that it’s an issue, that it still exists.”  

Perea says he initially joined for two reasons. He moved to Palm Springs with his partner, and they were looking for a way to volunteer with DAP Health, then known as Desert AIDS Project.  

The Condom Club offered a perfect opportunity with a lively bunch of people that Perea says has been appealing.  

“The Condom Club has always been a fun group to work with,” Perea says. “It’s a good thing to do in terms of helping other people. The volunteers that go there, some of them have really interesting stuff and it’s always a fun group to just chit chat with.”  

Perea says another reason for volunteering is what he witnessed. “It is an ugly, ugly disease,” Perea says. “It was just a horrific disease to die from. It was not pretty.”  

Perea remembers when protease inhibitors first came out. There were so few available that patients had to go on a waiting list, or a lottery system.  

“That changed the whole picture of people surviving,” Perea says. “I had a friend who was ill, and he was put on the list. A short time later, he did pass away. And then there were a couple of other friends who were at death’s door. Luckily, they got the protease inhibitors and survived.” 

Gonzalez says the Condom Club is busy with the distribution. He estimates DAP Health distributed around 25,000 packets in 2021   and about 50,000 each year pre-pandemic.  

While HIV is not as dire as it was in the United States, Perea hopes people continue to take safe sex seriously, and use the free condoms provided to prevent the spread of HIV and STDs.   

How Revivals is prioritizing people expe …

by Dustin Gruber

How Revivals is prioritizing people experiencing homelessness  

When Revivals and DAP Health decided to partner with Martha’s Village and Kitchen to provide clothing and supplies to people experiencing homelessness, they knew there was a need.  

But the demand caught them by surprise.  

The 2020 Riverside County Point-In-Time count suggests there were close to 200 unsheltered individuals in Palm Springs, but advocates for people experiencing homelessness say the true numbers might be double or triple that number. 

Martha’s Village and Kitchen is one of the largest providers of homelessness and impoverished services in Riverside County with over 8,000 people in need passing through its doors yearly.  

 Over the summer, Indio-based Martha’s Village opened The Palm Springs Access Center, providing wraparound services for people experiencing homelessness. These services include helping individuals obtain permanent and supportive housing, health, disability, Social Security, and other benefits, along with computer training, and assistance filling out job applications. 

Dane Koch, the director of retail, says it was an easy decision to partner with Martha’s Village. Revivals is part of DAP Health, an advocacy-based healthcare organization committed to removing roadblocks to human potential.  

Homelessness leads to increased feelings of uncertainty, vulnerability, and isolation. Homeless people experience great physical and mental stress. Many homeless people do not have access to medicine or regular physical or mental health care treatment. They tend to be hospitalized more often than people with homes.  

DAP Health believes that housing is healthcare and through a partnership with Coachella Valley Housing Coalition is breaking ground to begin construction of the 61-unit special needs affordable housing development known as Vista Sunrise II.  The Vista Sunrise II development will be constructed on the DAP Health campus at Sunrise and Vista Chino in Palm Springs.  This new development consists of studios and one-bedroom units for individuals and families who experience chronical illnesses, physical or mental disabilities, or those who are homeless.  

Martha’s Village provides vouchers for Revivals to its clients, who then come into a Revivals store to pick up necessities and clothing. Parents can shop at the store with their children enjoying the same retail experience as every other shopper in the store. A client can have up to four vouchers each year.  

Kris Fisher, the senior store coordinator at the Revivals in Palm Springs, says Revivals anticipated 15 clients per week. Instead, it was 50. 

“The response has been pretty overwhelming. I don’t think we expected to get the number of clients that we did,” Fisher says. “But I’m glad the program is being utilized and that we can be a resource.”  

George Sinatra, the senior director of development for Martha’s Village and Kitchen, shared two stories that illustrate the impact of this partnership.  

An elderly woman who had eye surgery needed protective eyewear.  

She came to Martha’s Village wearing disposable sunglasses. “We were able to get new sunglasses to her at Revivals that day,” Sinatra says. “That was super helpful.” 

Sinatra remembers a family of four who was living out of a car. They had come into Palm Springs looking for help.  

“They had one bag of clothing between the four of them that included undergarments and everything,” Sinatra explains 

The family came into Palm Springs, where they were able to get a shower and receive clothing from Revivals for the mother, father, and two young children under six. Then they were moved to Martha’s Indio location. 

“They are doing amazing and have been successful here going through Martha’s programs. They’re getting ready to get employment locally and then they’ll be able to move into their own home as a family.”  

 Koch says he is proud to be part of the new program. “People talk about the problem of homelessness a lot, but we see people, not problems.  It’s important to prioritize people experiencing homelessness and it just makes you feel good about coming to work every day, knowing you are making a difference.”