14080 Palm Drive Ste E
Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
760-288-7878
Food Now DHS
Wed&Thu 7:30-10:30 am
Distribution Hours
Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
Food Now DHS
Distribution Hours
The Puttin’ Food on the Table Putting Tournament was a huge success. We raised critically needed funds. Plus, we all had a great time putting and enjoying the event. But that’s not all. A big surprise was the awarding of a $25,000 Community Impact Grant from KESQ and Berger Foundation. Here’s the video of the check presentation. Everyone at Food Now DHS offers our profound gratitude for this fantastically generous grant.
From left to right: Chris Fraschetti, Food Now DHS Board Member. Bob Fraschetti, Board Chair, Food Now DHS. Jerry Upham, General Manager, KESQ TV. Tom Tragesser, Exec Director, Food Now DHS. Catharine Reed, Vice. President, Berger Foundation. Ashley Matkin, Food Now DHS Board Member. Mike Stutz, Board Member, Berger Foundation.
Food Now announced a planned leadership transition following its Annual Board Meeting on January 15, 2026. The Board of Directors unanimously appointed Tom Tragesser as the organization’s new Executive Director.
Tragesser has served as Food Now’s Director of Operations for the past three years, playing a key role in strengthening operations and supporting program growth. He brings more than 35 years of experience in business development, sales leadership, and management.
“Tom brings steady leadership, deep operational knowledge, and a strong commitment to Food Now’s mission,” said Bob Fraschetti, Chair of the Board of Directors. “The Board is confident in Food Now’s continued growth and impact under his leadership.”
Xavier College Prep of Palm Desert collected can goods and non-perishable foods during their annual drive. This bounty was shared with Food Now. We thank the students, parents, faculty, and staff for their generosity!
We provided healthy, nutritious groceries for 175+ more households than usual for the past three weeks. Plus we have received dozens more applications for food assistance than we typically receive. During COVID, the average was 700 households per week. Uncertainties regarding SNAP, WIC, and other safety nets are leaving more neighbors hungry than ever.
With the holidays just weeks away, our reserves cannot keep up at this pace. We need your help to bridge the gap.
Please consider supporting Food Now today:
– Donate food
– Volunteer your time
– Spread the word (on social media) or
– Make a gift using the donate button at the top of this page.
– Use your employer’s matching gift program (if available)
Together, we can make sure no family goes hungry this holiday season.
Neighbors helping neighbors.
Together we can help end hunger, lift families from poverty, prevent homelessness, help with job security, and improve the wellness of the entire community.
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We’re proud to share that Food Now has been named Nonprofit of the Year by the Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce. This awards recognizes our efforts throughout the entire Coachella Valley.
As Dana Johnson, Executive Director, shared: “On behalf of our Board of Directors and the thousands of families we serve, this recognition is a powerful affirmation of the tireless work of our incredible staff and volunteers—and a meaningful reminder that what we do matters.”
The award was presented at the Chamber’s annual gala on Monday, June 10, from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM, at the Renaissance Indian Wells Resort & Spa.
At a recent fundraiser, one of our Board Members said it best:
“I’m not here to talk politics; I’m here to talk reality.”
The truth is, the world feels uncertain right now—but your Food Now Board is focused on strengthening our foundation so we can continue to meet the needs of our community. And we couldn’t do it without you.
Here’s one eye-opening fact: 10 weeks.
That’s the average amount of time a client relies on our food assistance. For most, it’s a temporary setback—maybe a job loss, medical crisis, or unexpected expense. But with your help, they get back on their feet. This isn’t a handout—it’s a hand up.
Food security is a game-changer.
When families know where their next meal is coming from, they can focus on staying housed, keeping their car running, going to work, and managing their health. It means they’re not forced to choose between groceries and medicine. It gives them stability—and dignity.
In April alone, Food Now supported:
Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, we also deliver:
We are neighbors helping neighbors.
On March 28, 2025, more than 200 guests gathered at the Palm Springs Air Museum for Food Now’s 13th Annual Chili Cook-Off —Round-Up to End Hunger. This fun-filled, family-friendly event raised nearly $60,000 in support of our mission to alleviate hunger across the Coachella Valley.
Attendees sampled a wide array of chilis and cast their votes for the 2025 Champion Chili Chef — congratulations to Johnny Gonzalez! Guests also enjoyed hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, mini-golf, carnival games, line dancing, and much more.
While the event was a great success, the need continues to grow. Donations are still welcome — and more vital than ever — amid on-going economic uncertainty and the strain on food banks everywhere.
The 2024 Gallery Night Fundraiser – The Art of Giving: A Phenomenal Success!
Our 2024 Gallery Night Fundraiser – The Art of Giving was a resounding success! On Friday, November 15, Melissa Morgan graciously opened her stunning fine art gallery to host this unforgettable evening.
This year, 21 talented artists participated, generously donating their prized works to be auctioned in support of Food Now. The event welcomed around 120 guests who enjoyed delectable hors d’oeuvres from Porta Via and premium cocktails provided by Bar One Catering.
The night was nothing short of magical, raising over $50,000 to fight food insecurity for low-income households in the western Coachella Valley.
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who made this event possible and look forward to seeing you next year!
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Thank you to everyone who supported the highly successful 12th Annual Food Now Chili Cook-off.
We are grateful to Lindi Biggi for generously hosting this year’s event at her BG Bird Garden, making the 2024 cook-off a fan favorite.
Congratulations to Mayor Scott Matas, our 2024 Champion Chili Chef!
The event was not only memorable but also a significant success, raising over $42,000. These funds will enable Food Now to distribute enough healthy food to prepare over 210,000 meals for our clients. Incredible impact!
Even stormy weather could not dampen the celebration at the 11th Annual Food Now Chili Cook-off. After a 2-year covid-induced hiatus, Food Now returned to the iconic Palm Springs Air Museum to hold their 11th Annual Chili Cook-off presented by Sentinel Energy on Saturday, January 14. The event was a huge success for Food Now and a remarkable experience for their guests. The event netted close to $60,000 to help feed hungry households throughout the Coachella Valley, provide daily meals for homeless clients, and fund their weekend meals program for school-age children.
11 chefs were on hand to serve their favorite recipes for around 200 guests. Chef Sunshine from the Cathedral City Evening Rotary took home the top honor as Chili Champion.
Food Now had received 40,000 pounds of high quality, nonperishable and up to date food items and cleaning supplies.
Distribution was held on
Tuesday July 19, 1:00pm to 4:00pm
from the Food Now parking lot
This distribution was available to all who are struggling during these inflationary times. More then 60 volunteers served over 600 families.
There was No qualifying and No registration.
People stayed in their cars and the food was delivered to them.
Food Now’s amazing volunteers were treated to an appreciation party on Friday, March 25 from 12 noon till 2pm at Playoffs Sports Lounge.
All 22 of our volunteers enjoyed games, food and drink at board member Eric Pontius’ Sports lounge in Desert Hot Springs. Thank you Eric.
We couldn’t do what we do without our valued volunteers.
They really do! Thanks to a generous donation from BIGHORN Golf Charities, Food Now was able to replace the flooring in their 2,500 sq ft warehouse. Food Now distributes over 1,000,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, proteins, grains and other healthy food from their Desert Hot Springs location annually. That amount of traffic had taken a toll on the facility.
October 3, 2021. Food Now partnered with the Bianca Rae Foundation for the Animal Food Drive at The Gardens on El Paseo.
Patrons dropped off dog and cat food to help feed the animals. Food Now distributes the pet food to clients who own pets. Sunday was a good day for the pets.
Food Now’s Companion Pet feeding program got a big boost this week. Thanks to board member Mike Russell and in partnership with Loving All Animals, Food Now was able to secure close to 700 pounds of cat and dog food for weekly distribution to our pet owning clients. Dana Johnson, Director of Food Now added “The percent of our clients who are pet owners mirrors that of the general public, about 1 in 3. It’s important for us to not only take care of the nutritional needs of our clients but also help with their furry four-legged companions when possible.” In addition the County of Riverside Emergency Response donated two pallets of pet food.
The Food Now Thanksgiving food distribution was a phenomenal success. On Wednesday and Thursday November 18 and 19, Food Now provided close to 600 families with all they needed to prepare a Thanksgiving feast. Food Now distributed turkeys, yams, stuffing, squash, mashed potatoes, cranberry and even desserts.
November 18, 2020
Thank you
BIGHORN Golf Club Charities was so moved by the great work being done by Food Now they made a $12,000 donation through its Bighorn Cares Grant program. The money is for the purchase and installation of a walk-in cooler that will double the agencies capacity to provide fresh and healthy food.
Family Services of the Desert’s community food pantry Food Now is the largest food pantry in the Coachella Valley, both in number of people served and pounds of food distributed. Food Now currently distributes approximately 700,000 pounds of food annually, over 13,000 pounds per week. About 1/3 of the food distributed is fresh and requires refrigeration. The 4,400 pounds of fresh food distributed weekly would fill to overflowing the existing walk-in cooler. This limits the agency’s ability to provide the freshest and healthiest food for our clients.
The second walk-in cooler made possible by Bighorn Cares will double the agency’s refrigerated storage capacity and allow Food Now to distribute twice as much healthy and nutritious fresh food. This in turn allows for us to cut back on the processed canned goods. Doubling the fresh food distributed makes the food boxes served some of the healthiest of any food pantry. And more important, it gives our clients the ingredients for a healthy diet and a healthy life.
THANK YOU BIGHORN Golf Club Charities for your generous donation.
Supervisor Manny Perez spearheads 2019/2020 CDBG funding for Food NowFood Now received great news recently. Riverside County approved $12,000 for Food Now as part of the 2019/2020 Community Development Block Grant funding. The money will be used to provide food assistance and other programs that meet the critical needs of the residents of Desert Hot Springs and the surrounding area of the 4thCounty District.
Last year Food Now was denied funding from the CDBG. The reason given was the board of supervisors had to “prioritize” which programs were funded. “We were devastated” said Dana Johnson, Food Now Executive Director. Johnson reached out to Supervisor Manny Perez’ office looking for answers. “Supervisor Perez has always been a supporter of Food Now and the great work we do. I wanted to know just what could be a higher priority than feeding hungry families, seniors and children” Johnson would ask.
To Supervisor Perez’ credit, he held a press conference at Food Now to illuminate the challenges faced by Food Now as they fight hunger and food insecurity in Desert Hot Springs which is in the 4thSupervisorial District. It also allowed Supervisor Perez to meet the families, seniors, children, and his constituents who benefit from the food assistance and other programs provided by Food Now.
Every week 350 households, over 1,000 men, women and children look to Food Now for help in putting food on their table. Thanks to Supervisor Perez, their well-being is a priority a once again. When families are strengthened, entire communities rise up.
