County-Supported Expansion of Galilee Center to Offer More Shelter
January 9, 2025
MECCA – The Galilee Center, which provides food, clothing and other resources to eastern Coachella Valley farmworker communities, has completed an expansion that will serve more needs in the community.
The Galilee Center invites the community to attend the dedication of its shelter expansion this Saturday, January 11 in the community of Mecca. The Most Rev. Bishop Alberto Rojas of the San Bernardino Diocese will bless the new facility, Our Lady of Guadalupe Shelter.
The ceremony will start at 11 a.m. at the Galilee Center, located at 66-101 Hammond Road in Mecca.
“The Galilee Center is a resource for the entire region,” said Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. “The level of services our residents have, the ability to coordinate and quickly mobilize, and provide a safe haven in emergencies, is due to having the Galilee Center as a vital partner. This expansion strengthens our community infrastructure in the eastern Coachella Valley, bringing great benefit and resources to our community.”
The Galilee Center provides weekly food distribution, meals, clothing and basic necessities, and operates the Mecca Comfort Station shower, restroom and laundry facility. The Galilee Center has served as an emergency shelter for local farmworkers lacking housing, and has opened its doors during local emergencies.
The center’s expansion adds a 6,500-square-foot emergency shelter, featuring two separate dormitory type rooms for males and females. The expansion doubles the capacity for overnight accommodations from 75 beds to 150 beds. Another improvement is a kitchen remodel to serve more meals.
The shelter expansion is made possible through $1.5 million in Riverside County funding dedicated by Supervisor Perez and $2 million from private donors and foundations, and a contribution from Connie and Bob Lurie.
Gloria Gomez, founder of the Galilee Center, states: “We are grateful to our generous donors and friends, who contributed $2 million, and to Riverside County, who contributed $1.5 million, which was crucial to taking us where we are today. We are blessed to have their support. With the additional space and new facilities, we can offer more outreach programs, increase capacity, and provide enhanced services to those in need. What a wonderful milestone that has been reached.”
With the new shelter space, the existing community room, which had been in use as a shelter, will now be able to be used for community dining, special events and as a cooling center for the community.
