In 2018, Lift to Rise set out on a mission to make a lasting impact in the Coachella Valley by bringing together community and institutional partners to collaboratively solve the underlying causes of poverty and inequity and create a future where all Coachella Valley families are healthy, stable, and thriving.
Since then, Lift to Rise and its partners have had many reasons to celebrate — including the launch of We Lift: The Coachella Valley Housing Catalyst Fund and being named the 2022 California Nonprofit of the Year.
On Friday, June 30, Lift to Rise and a couple hundred close friends celebrated these accomplishments and others with a special event marking the organization’s fifth birthday. It was a fun, if somewhat hot, lunchtime event with tacos, ice cream, and mariachi.
“This is really a celebration of the collective love that we have for each other that mobilizes us to work in all the ways that we do to build a better future that call the Coachella Valley home,” Lift to Rise CEO Heather Vaikona told event attendees.
Other significant Lift to Rise accomplishments include:
- Distributing more than $300 million in rent and utility relief aid to more than 120,000 Riverside County residents during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of United Lift.
- Bringing together more than 60 stakeholders for its Housing Collaborative Action Network and creating two multi-year action plans to set a strategic path forward.
- Being recognized as Volunteer Organization of the Year in Riverside County
Lift to Rise wishes extends a major thank you to everyone who attended the fifth birthday celebration and everyone else who has dedicated time and resources to advance the Lift to Rise mission over the past five years. Every contribution has strengthened our collective impact.
Hear more about the progress and impact of Lift to Rise with this short video.