Serving Coachella Valley and Surrounding Communities
Our Story
Desert Cares Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization launched October 2025. We raise funds to provide grants to local hospices, home health, and care providers to ensure that people at their most vulnerable receive the essential care and supportive items they need.
Establishing a nonprofit to help older adults and others in need of supportive care has been a ten-year dream for its founder, Stephanie Koontz. Stephanie holds a Masters in Gerontology and spent two decades leading employment and training and human services programs.
Our Mission
Our mission is to remove financial barriers so uninsured and under-resourced people in our community - along with their families and caregivers - can access and receive the care, essential items, and support they need.
Why Your Donation Matters
We are just getting started and are focusing on supporting uninsured and under‑resourced individuals receiving home health care or end‑of‑life care. We do this by providing grants to local providers to cover staffing costs and essential items that patients would otherwise go without. These items include sheets and blankets that fit the unique size of home hospital beds, basic hygiene supplies, meal replacement shakes, and more — all of which improve comfort, safety, and quality of care.
Expanding Our Reach
With your help, we can expand our services and support to reach more people and cover costs for:
- Prescription co-pays
- In-Home Supportive Services for non-medical services such as bathing, grooming, dressing, cleaning, and errands
- Daily rates associated with Adult Day Centers
- Respite care for caregivers
- Behavioral health costs including grief counseling
- Covering travel costs incurred by out-of-town relatives traveling to visit family members in hospice care
- Education and training costs for people seeking a career in health and human services
