Bridges of Hope opens satellite

Friday, January 22, 2010

NEWS RELEASE
Media Contact: Tim O?Bayley, O?Bayley Communications, 760/778-3525 tim@obayley.net or
Betty Fernandez, Bridges of Hope, 760/328-0887 betty@bridgesofhopecc.org

BRIDGES OF HOPE TO OPEN SATELLITE FACILITY IN DESERT HOT SPRINGS
Local Organization Expands Support of Children's Nutritional Needs at New Facility

PALM SPRINGS, CA - JANUARY 22, 2010: Bridges of Hope, a local nonprofit organization
dedicated to "Touching A Family and Making a Difference" by providing life-changing
resources to people in need, will open a new satellite location today, January 22, in Desert Hot
Springs to support the YMCA's "Y Be Fit" after school program, and provide community
resource programs and food distribution to children, seniors, and families. The new facility will
be located at 11-777 West Drive in the Desert Hot Springs Senior Center and will serve as the
staging area for the organization's weekend backpack program - which helps 81 low-income
children fulfill their nutritional needs during weekends.
"We're thrilled to be opening our new facility," said Betty Fernandez, Executive Director of
Bridges of Hope. "There have been numerous studies that showed that these kids were only
having one meal over the course of the weekend, which is extremely low. So we're expanding
our weekend backpack program to include more students at 3 middle schools in Desert Hot
Springs. The backpacks will be filled and distributed out of the new facility at the Senior Center."
The backpack program began in March 2009 and supports students involved in the local
YMCA's "Y Be Fit" program, an after-school exercise and dietary program designed to teach
students the value of being healthy. The insulated backpacks are filled with 7 complete
healthy meals, including breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks for Friday evening,
Saturday and Sunday. The children return the backpacks to Bridges of Hope on Monday.
Bridges of Hope is an IRS-recognized nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that was originally
conceptualized in 1998 by President and Founder, Daniel Manriquez. Bridges of Hope
provides humanitarian services and human development programs that have been designed
to benefit the underprivileged of our Coachella Valley. One man's dream, to impact the
valley has blossomed into reality as an army of the compassionate have joined the call to
"Touch A Family, Make A Difference." In partnering with individual donors and businesses
who share the same vision of "community," Bridges of Hope has become an integral presence
in the Coachella Valley.
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