City of Indian Wells Funds Coachella Valley Housing Coalition’s Annual Youth Tennis Camp

Indian Wells, CA – July 19, 2005 – 35 youth living in Coachella Valley Housing Coalition’s (CVHC) affordable housing developments will for the fifth year, be treated to a four week tennis camp thanks to the generosity of the City of Indian Wells. A $3000 grant awarded by the City’s Community Assistance Program will once again make it possible for at-risk youth from Indio, Coachella and Mecca to experience the wonderful, worldly sport of tennis as they gain new positive role models.

Some of the participants, ages 6 through 17, have attended the camp each year and have gone on to join the tennis teams at their schools as a result of this experience which might otherwise not have been available to them.

“We are grateful to the City of Indian Wells for their support of our annual tennis program. This is a wonderful opportunity that the kids look forward to every year. They start asking about it months in advance,” said John Mealey, CVHC executive director. He added, “Indian Wells Tennis Gardens and Indian Wells resident volunteers are also greatly appreciated, they have been coaching the camp since its inception.”

Desert Alliance for Community Empowerment, (DACE) is providing funding for transportation. Students are picked up at 8 am every Tuesday and Thursday from July 26 through August 18 and returned to their homes by noon.

Coachella Valley Housing Coalition (CVHC) is a non-profit housing development corporation dedicated to helping low and very-low income families improve their living conditions through advocacy, research, construction, and operation of housing and community development projects. CVHC has constructed more than 2,500 homes and apartments for low-income households in Riverside and Imperial Counties. In addition, CVHC has developed childcare centers, after-school programs, and two medical clinics. It operates various services for its tenants and others including mariachi classes, English as a Second Language and Citizenship classes, an art program, and tennis and recreational programs. For more information, visit www.cvhc.org