The Coachella Valley Rescue Mission is scrambling for donations this holiday season. 

 

Now they need your help to collect as much food as possible in the last days before Thanksgiving. 

 

The shelves are running low at the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission this holiday season and donations are down dramatically.

 

"The need is greater than ever. It continues to be big and unfortunately our donations are down about 40 percent this year in physical donations, in food and turkeys, and on-going things that we need to sustain the clients," said Darla Burkett, Executive Director at the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission.  

 

Clients like Thomas Johnson who credit the mission for helping him to turn his life around.

 

"A lot of these people are just beaten down by life and because of that they don't have hope so this place is like a beacon in the middle of the desert. Literally it's the last house on the block. Without the services they're providing there, they wouldn't have help," Johnson said.

 

Now he's giving back by collecting food donation boxes at places like Coldwell Banker in Palm Desert.

 

"Everybody's feeling the pinch of the economy but we do what we can do, and we're delighted to be involved with the mission," said Patti Rollins with Coldwell Banker in Palm Desert.

 

The need this year is greater than ever. There are three hundred people on a  waiting list for holiday baskets but only about a dozen turkey's in the freezer.

 

The mission serves 600 meals a day and upwards of 2500 people on Thanksgiving. 

 

They've been flooded with calls from people in need. Unfortunately this year they've already had to turn people away.

 

"We could certainly use a lot more right now we probably need 250 more turkeys to cover the phone calls that we've had coming in," said Eric Pamperin Food Service Manager at Coachella Valley Rescue Mission.

 

A desperate plea in the final days before Thanksgiving. They need a whole lot more food to feed the thousands expected come Thursday.

 

The Coachella Valley Rescue Mission needs everything from turkey's to stuffing, cranberries, and potatoes. They say anything, even the smallest donation helps. 

 

You can drop off donations at the mission on Van Buren Street in Indio. 

 

--Adrianna Weingold

aweingold@kmir6.com