Oak Grove Sanctuary Palm Springs, a transitional home for LGBTQ+ foster youth received a surprise $10,000 donation from Palm Springs resident, James Holjes. Holjes raised the funds over the course of a year by providing haircuts at The Barracks in Cathedral City.
“We are stunned and overjoyed,” said Oak Grove Sanctuary CEO Tammy Wilson. “This unexpected gift is much needed and much appreciated. It will go a long way in helping our residents get the services they need to become healthy, productive, independent adults. We can’t thank James enough. He is living proof of how a little support goes a long way in changing someone’s life.”
Holjes, a barber at Sunny Dunes Barber Shop, accepted donations for each haircut. “When I moved to Palm Springs, I was able to get the support I needed to turn my life around,” he said. “Now I want to help others do the same.”
Serving LGBTQ+ young adults since 2017, Oak Grove Sanctuary Palm Springs is a part of Oak Grove Center, a nonprofit organization serving at-risk and special needs youth. The Oak Grove Sanctuary program supports LGBTQ+ foster youth transitioning from the dependency system into independent adulthood and offers safe, transitional housing and supportive resources to help them get on their feet. By providing emotional, educational, and skills support, Sanctuary seeks to interrupt the cycle of neglect and despair— including incarceration, drug and alcohol abuse, sex trafficking, homelessness, battles with depression and attempted suicide — that often befall LGBTQ+ foster youth.
Funds raised by Holjes will go directly to the program helping LGBTQ+ young adults with access to therapy, job training, crisis intervention, transportation, medical needs, mentoring and more. Staff work to help empower success and transform lives. To learn more about Oak Grove Sanctuary Palm Springs, visit OakGroveSanctuaryPalmSprings.org.
