The Well in the Desert was founded ten years ago by Dr. Wayne McKinny, a retired Pediatrician, well-known for his lifelong humanitarian work and his involvement in Operation Baby Lift in Southeast Asia in the seventies. He knew the plight of the homeless and poor in the Western end of the Coachella Valley and began a hot meal program to serve them.

The program grew over the years and many services were added, including a weekend grocery distribution that helps feed over 1,000 people a month, many of them children and seniors. The Well in the Desert provides a myriad of other services as well; help with jobs, help with housing, help in obtaining driver's licenses, i.d., medical aid, dental aid, and more. We serve as a cooling center during the summer, and during the year a place where homeless people can use the phone to contact loved ones, get a hot meal, and sandwiches for an evening spent on the desert floor.

The Well in the Desert has a Board of Directors, all of whom are caring and productive members of their community.