Morongo Band of Mission Indians Awards Nearly $200,000 in Grants to Local Non-Profit Organizations

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians has awarded nearly $200,000 in grants to non-profit organizations serving communities in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, as part of the Tribe’s 2nd Community Outreach Awards luncheon, held on Wednesday, April 19th. The 71 grant recipients represent a variety of organizations involved with Native American culture, social services, education, hospitals or health organizations, and support groups for members of the military and military families. The Morongo Community Outreach Awards Program, launched in 2022, provides grants of up to $5,000 each to recipient groups. With this year’s awards, the program has awarded nearly $400,000 in grants over two years. "Morongo is a giving tribe, and helping others has been a core value of our tribe for generations. We are thrilled to be supporting dozens of exceptional non-profit organizations who inspire us by doing so much to serve those in need and to promote the wellbeing of others," said Morongo Tribal Chairman Charles Martin. During the luncheon, award recipients were recognized for their exceptional service and partnership with Morongo. Groups that received awards from Morongo ranged from Clearwater Residential, Inc., of Moreno Valley (a housing provider for low-income veterans) to the CARE Project of Riverside (breast cancer support), to Guide Dogs of the Desert of Palm Springs (providing service dogs to the visually-impaired) to Olive Crest of Palm Desert. Morongo Tribal Donation "We deeply appreciate Morongo’s continued generosity and support," said Maureen Girouard, Director for Development and Communications for ABC Recovery Center, an Indio-based addiction treatment center. "This grant enables us to expand our abilities in providing medical intervention technologies that when needed and deployed, could mean the difference between life and death for the very vulnerable population we serve." The Morongo Community Outreach Awards Program aligns with the Tribe’s ongoing philanthropic efforts. Over the past decade, Morongo has provided more than $15 million to support local and national non-profit organizations that serve the San Gorgonio Pass and the surrounding regions, as well as greater Southern California. Non-profit organizations interested in learning more about the 2024 Community Outreach Awards program can visit the Morongo Nation website at www.morongonation.org/donations/.