It all began in a small kitchen in a church parish hall.
In 1990, Gloria Gomez and Claudia Castorena opened Martha’s Kitchen with the assistance of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Indio. At the time, they served 30 hot meals once a week.
When the call for volunteer went out, church members of all faiths began to participate by assisting in meal preparation and food service. Some of the volunteers have been at Martha’s for over ten years.

In 1998, Tom and Rita Martin visited Martha's Kitchen, which was now serving
350 meals five days a week. The Martins shared the founders' vision of a comprehensive program that would help rehabilitate the homeless.
Together, they chose Father Joe's Villages as the model and partner for their program.

Today, Martha’s Village & Kitchen is a thriving Village with a comprehensive
"continuum of care" program for homeless families. Thanks to the Martins' gift of 10 acres of land and $250,000, a $1.5 million commitment to Martha’s by Dan Dunlap, an international philanthropist, and a $2 million HUD grant, Martha’s Village & Kitchen opened the doors of our $10 million Dan Dunlap Center in December, 2000. The Center offers all the necessary resources for people to regain self-sufficiency.

Donations are helping Martha's cover the balance of the $10 million cost of construction. A debt of 2.5 million remains.

Visit our Donations page and learn more about the many ways you can help.