Desert Arc has announced it will host its highly-anticipated fifth annual Champions of Change Recognition Awards Luncheon, on Wednesday, Feb. 8. This event honors local companies and individuals in our valley who champion Desert Arc’s mission.
This not-to-be-missed Recognition Awards Luncheon will be held in the Grand Ballroom at Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage, at 11:30 a.m. Several hundred community leaders and city officials will be in attendance that day.
Distinguished awards will be presented at the luncheon to recipients in the following categories:
- Champion of the Year: Madeline Zuckerman, owner and president of Madeline Zuckerman Marketing and Public Relations, Inc.
- Business Partner of the Year: City of Rancho Mirage
- Business Star of the Year: Computer Consultants
- Outstanding Volunteer of the Year: JoAnne Gilliam, tennis coach & Zumba dance instructor
- Corporate Philanthropist of the Year: Hot Purple Energy
The Clients of the Year—people served by Desert Arc’s mission:
- Christian B.: Yucca Valley’s Work Activity Program
- Joseph C.: BMOD Program
- Jason C.: Palm Desert Adult Day Program
- Kevin G.: Shredding and Recycling Division
- Shenolene P.: Individual Placement Program
- Toinesha S.: For Your Independence Program
- Jose V.: Landscape Maintenance Division
- Robert Y.: Palm Desert Work Activity Program
- David Z.: Sports and Recreation Program
“Desert Arc’s annual Champions of Change Recognition Awards Luncheon is a very inspirational event, as it brilliantly showcases our mission in motion with heartwarming stories about people with disabilities who participate in our programs,” notes board chair Damian Jenkins. “It’s an amazing opportunity for our nonprofit human services agency to recognize and honor other individuals and organizations in the larger community who champion our vital cause.”
Emcee of this year’s luncheon is Brooke Beare, Emmy Award-winning journalist, who is a board member and immediate past chair of the Desert Arc board.
“As the chair of Desert Arc’s two annual fundraising events and the development committee of the board of directors, I encourage people to attend and join us in support of people with disabilities. The awards luncheon especially is a wonderful celebration of the achievements of our clients in reaching their personal goals through the guiding support of our charity’s dedicated program team,” said Nancy Singer, Desert Arc board member and past board chair.
Media sponsors for this year’s awards luncheon include The Desert Sun, KESQ News Channel 3, and Alpha Media–Palm Springs.
Individual luncheon tickets are $100 per person, with sponsorship opportunities ranging from $1,500 to $10,000. For additional event information about Desert Arc’s fifth annual Champions of Change Recognition Awards Luncheon or information on Desert Arc, call 760-404-1368 or visit DesertArc.org.
“Desert Arc has been making a difference in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disability since 1959. There are currently 714 individuals who participate and benefit from our comprehensive array of programs and services throughout Coachella Valley, Morongo Basin, and outlying desert communities,” said Richard Balocco, president/CEO of Desert Arc. “Both the annual awards luncheon and our Golf Classic raise awareness and garner financial support to afford Desert Arc the ability to provide on-site nurses, a nutrition program, door-to-door transportation, sports and recreation activities, and other life-enhancing programs for our clients that are not funded by the State of California. Ultimately, Desert Arc’s goal is to avail people with disabilities with a safe and supportive, personal-centric resource base to enable them to reach their highest potential to live, work, and socialize in the community.”
About Desert Arc
Desert Arc is a leading nonprofit, with an impressive 63-year history of providing comprehensive services for over 700 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities within the Coachella Valley, the Morongo Basin, and outlying desert communities. Since its founding in 1959, Desert Arc has been offering people-centric programs and resources designed to meet the needs of its clients including: an adult day program, vocational training, job development, job placement and employment, nutrition, sports and recreation programs for supportive independent living, case management and personalized coordination of services, and advocacy for community integration. Desert Arc has been recognized within the community for its mission of enhancing their clients’ quality of life and creating opportunities for each person. Dedicated to social innovation, Desert Arc has also created a variety of enterprises providing business services including their shredding and recycling, landscape maintenance, janitorial and fulfillment divisions. These are growing micro-businesses developed to provide employment for its clients, as well as an earned income revenue stream for Desert Arc. Pathways to Employment is the umbrella for the organization’s vocational, on-the-job training and individual job placement service programs, working directly for Desert Arc or within their fellow employer network. Over its consistent and financially sound 63-year history, Desert Arc has been making a difference in the lives of so many people with disabilities.
Desert Arc’s main headquarters is located on Country Club Drive in Palm Desert, consisting of three buildings totaling 50,000 square feet of space. In addition, Desert Arc has a recycling center in Indio, and another program site in Yucca Valley.
This piece was submitted on behalf of Desert Arc by Madeline Zuckerman.