As small community charities continue to struggle through the hardships of the pandemic, Calipatria State Prison’s (CAL) Leadership Team along with the Inside Out Writers and the Anti-Recidivism Coalition Inmate Activity Groups teamed up and sponsored a Dessert Fundraiser to provide some much needed assistance to four local charities.
Warden W. L. Montgomery said “CAL is fortunate to have hard working staff and a population that embraces the responsibility of giving back to the community.”
The fundraiser consisted of pastries, baked goods and an assortment of drinks. Due to the large demand, the event took a total of four days to complete. The population was very appreciative of the event and were glad to be able to give back to the local communities.
The COVID-19 Pandemic has brought many challenges to our communities which made it an even bigger challenge to facilitate the food sale. Prison managers and the population had to adjust to new guidelines such as social distancing, the wearing of personal protective equipment, and the challenge of maintaining separate cohorts during the pastry distribution. CAL staff and the inmate population joined together and accomplished this difficult task with open lines of communication and a partnership for a greater goal, to help the charities in need.
Frances Hernandez, Community Resources Manager said, “The financial impact we make with these types of fundraisers is extremely gratifying. Seeing the excitement from the agencies we donate too makes all of the hard work worth it. As an institution, it truly is a privilege to help our communities.”
The grand total proceeds for the dessert fundraiser was $41,657.14. The funds provided $10,414.29 to the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), $10,414.29 to the Calipatria Little League, $10,414.29 to the Reps for Vets Organization, and $10,414.28 to the Autism Support of Imperial County.
Javier Amezcua, representative for Calipatria Little League, said “Calipatria Little League serves the City of Calipatria and the unincorporated towns of Niland and Bombay Beach and is run entirely by volunteers. The donation given today will allow us to continue offering affordable sports programs as well as to update our facilities. Thank you so very much!”
In the last year, CAL has sponsored multiple fundraisers and has been able to raise a total of $93,453.04, all of which have been donated to local non-profit agencies.
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