Crime & Safety

Palm Desert Deputies Partner with Safehouse for Stuff the Bus Benefit

Deputies at the sheriff's Palm Desert Station are partnering with SafeHouse of the Desert, a private, nonprofit dedicated to safety and well-being for children in crisis, to stuff a bus with critical items needed for youth who are in need, a sheriff's sergeant said Monday Sept. 16.

"The Riverside County Sheriff's Department, with the help of the Desert Sands Unified School District, will park a bus at the Target store in Palm Desert from November 1st to November 6th for items to be dropped off by the public," Sgt. Larry Sherman of the Palm Desert Station said in a statement.


"Drop off boxes will also be placed in front of the Palm Desert Station between now and November 7th for 24-hour drop off," Sherman said Monday.

The Target store where the bus will be set up Nov. 1 is at 72-549 Highway 111.

Operation SafeHouse provides emergency crisis intervention and support services for approximately 800 runaway and homeless kids each year, Sherman said.

The nonprofit offers a "structured 14-day program consisting of daily counseling sessions with a family counselor, formal secondary education, peer- facilitated support groups, and a collaborative educational effort with community agencies such as Alternatives To Domestic Violence, Inland Aids Project, and The Rape Crisis Center," Sherman said.

Operation SafeHouse is asking communities of the Coachella Valley to help "Stuff the Bus" with items to help take care of youth in need, including:

Mops, brooms, vacuums, Ajax cleaners, oven gloves, dish sets, silverware sets, pot and pan sets, kitchen towels, dish soap, disinfectant spray, Clorox wipes, sponges, napkins, sandwich bags, Ziploc freezer bags, laundry soap, Kaboom cleaner, toilet brushes & plungers, bath towels, face towels, shower curtains, soap, shower gel, deodorant, toothbrushes, hair brushes, feminine hygiene pads, tampons, Kool-Aid, toilet paper, mattress pads and sheets for twin beds, shaving cream, lip balm, lotion, pillows & blankets, pasta, canned meats, chicken, tuna, soup, spices, canned veggies, cereal, backpacks, dishwasher soap, baking soda, condiments, air fresheners, foil wrap, gas cards, gift cards for Smart & Final, Costco, Home Depot, Lowe's, Stater Bros., Walmart and movie tickets.

For more info about Safehouse of the Desert visit http://operationsafehouse.org.


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