Community Corner

Cereal Drive Underway In Coachella Valley

The drive is asking for monetary or cereal donations to help feed area families this summer.

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — Three Desert Care Network hospitals began a food drive Monday, asking the public for monetary or cereal donations to feed children and their families a healthy breakfast during the summer.

The "Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive" will run through June 18. People can donate boxes of cereal in the lobby of Desert Regional Medical Center, 1150 N. Indian Canyon Drive in Palm Springs; JFK Memorial Hospital, 47111 Monroe St. in Indio; or Hi-Desert Medical Center, 6601 White Feather Road in Joshua Tree.

"A healthy breakfast is important to start the day right, and through this initiative, we aim to support those in our community facing food insecurity," Linda Evans, chief strategy officer for community advocacy for Desert Care Network, said in a statement.

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The fundraiser supports Find Food Bank's summer feeding program in Indio and the Way Station in Joshua Tree.

Officials said more than 84% of public-school students qualify for free or reduced-price meals in the Coachella Valley, which is an indicator of food insecurity in the region.

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