Morongo Band Donates to Habitat for Humanity
CABAZON, California – (PRESS RELEASE) -- The Morongo Band of Mission Indians will complete delivery of more than fourteen tons of building materials in a convoy of trucks to the Greater Los Angeles Habitat for Humanity tomorrow. Loading and delivery began delivery yesterday.
The loading will begin again at 10:00 am tomorrow. As each truck is filled, it will make the 90-minute drive to the Habitat for Humanity warehouse where it will be unloaded.
The thousands of construction items being prepared for delivery are surplus from the building of the Morongo tribe's new $250 million casino, resort and spa in Cabazon.
The massive loading operation is taking place at the two-acre Morongo construction yard just west of the casino. Morongo tribal chairman Maurice Lyons will join a work team of tribal members helping the crews to load a convoy of commercial trucks. The trucks will transport the supplies to a warehouse in Carson. The materials will be used by Habitat for Humanity to provide affordable housing for low-income families throughout Southern California.
"We have a special appreciation for Habitat for Humanity's work in helping families realize the dream of having a home," said Maurice Lyons, Morongo tribal chairman. "Growing up on the reservation, many of us lived in homes where we had to stuff paper in the window cracks to keep the wind out. Most homes had no running water. So we know how important it is to have safe, reliable housing. Our construction surplus was a tremendous opportunity to furnish materials that would make new homes possible for low-income families."
Morongo tribal volunteers will assist the work crews loading heavy pallets onto the trucks. A large tent has been erected at the site and tribal members are serving lunch to the men loading the materials and handing out bottled water as truck after truck is packed full.
Three transport trucks marked with giant Morongo banners will be strapped down and prepared to caravan on the Interstate 10 to the Habitat for Humanity warehouse between 10:30 am and 11:00 am.
A total of six moving trucks and sixteen men are spending today and Friday in hauling the materials from Cabazon to Habitat's warehouse. The wide range of construction items being donated include 300 new toilets, 64 windows, 4 bathtubs, 32 closet doors, electrical and plumbing supplies, 15 rolls of chain link fencing, paving stones and cotton waddles.
"This is one of the most extensive donations of building materials our chapter has ever received," said Erin Rank, president and CEO for the Greater Los Angeles Habitat for Humanity. "The Morongo tribe's generosity will touch the lives of hundreds of families in the years to come."
In preparation for the two-day move, a project team has spent the last three weeks sorting, gathering, palletizing and wrapping the materials so they would be more easily loaded and delivered to Habitat.
"We could have sold these materials quite easily, but the tribal council determined this was a far better use. I think it makes us all work that much harder knowing this effort will be helping so many," said Dennis Dalbeck, reservation services administrator.
The Morongo tribe is the largest private sector employer in the Banning- Beaumont region and a major contributor to the Coachella Valley economy. The tribe presently employs more than 3,000 people in both gaming and non-gaming tribal operations.
In 2004, the Morongo tribe donated one million dollars to the San Diego chapter of Habitat for Humanity. It was one of the largest donations in the organization's history. The donation was used to build new homes for tribal elders of the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, who lost their residences in the 2003 wild fires.
The Morongo tribe gives to hundreds of community groups and non-profit charitable organizations every year. Past recipients include the American Red Cross, Banning Unified School District, Cabazon Elementary School, Sun Lakes Charities, Shelter From The Storm for Battered Women, Walter's Children's Charity Classic, Child Help USA, Indian Child & Family Services, Nicolet Middle School, the San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital and the Riverside Sheriff Association Relief Fund.
The Greater Los Angeles Habitat for Humanity is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. There are more than 2,100 active Habitat for Humanity affiliates in 100 countries worldwide.