After the Stagecoach and Coachella festivals wrap up at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, the real work begins for local charitable organizations. Each year, more than 24 tons of discarded items left across the expansive 642-acre site are transformed into valuable resources for the community’s less fortunate.
Among the remnants left behind by festival attendees are clothing, camping equipment, dry foods, and various goods. These materials are diligently collected by community organizations to benefit low-income individuals and those experiencing homelessness.
Lupe Torres-Hilario, the director of operations at the Galilee Center, explained that many out-of-town festival-goers abandon folding tables and camping chairs due to travel restrictions—they often fly into Southern California and are unable to transport these items back home on the plane.
The Galilee Center, a nonprofit supporting disadvantaged children, families, and farmworkers in the East Coachella Valley, dispatches trucks to the festivals immediately after they conclude. Volunteers comb through the campsites to gather abandoned items or request donations from departing attendees.
During this year’s Coachella festival, the Galilee Center amassed an impressive 48,480 pounds of donations. The total amount collected after Stagecoach is still being tallied. Last year, festival promoter Goldenvoice donated a staggering 34.6 tons of materials from Coachella and Stagecoach combined.
Most donated items find their way into the Galilee Center’s thrift store, where they are sold to fund the organization’s vital programs. Revenue from the thrift store supports rent and utility bill assistance, along with the purchase of essential items like diapers for infants and protein drinks for seniors.
Unused cots and sleeping bags are provided free of charge to unhoused individuals, while clothing and furniture vouchers enable low-income families to acquire necessities from the thrift store.
The Galilee Center isn’t the only organization benefitting from post-festival donations. Martha’s Village and Kitchen, which aids unhoused and impoverished individuals in the Coachella Valley and Riverside County, receives a significant boost from festival-related contributions.
The Coachella festival also directly supports the community through “Thrift-chella,” an annual sale event operated by Martha’s Village and Kitchen. Festival-goers who buy in bulk at the thrift store often donate surplus items they didn’t use during the festivals.
Additionally, surplus food from the events is repurposed by charitable organizations like the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission. The mission collects leftover food from festival vendors to serve as meals for the local needy.
Alexandra Vargas, spokesperson for Martha’s Village and Kitchen, noted that donations from the festivals have increased in recent years, possibly due to growing awareness and advocacy from influencers.
These contributions are crucial, particularly as the cost of groceries rises and demand at food pantries grows. Martha’s Village and Kitchen serves a client population that is predominantly families and children, with services ranging from daycare to emergency food provisions.
Ultimately, the aftermath of the Stagecoach and Coachella festivals not only showcases the generosity of attendees but also serves as a lifeline for local organizations striving to support vulnerable members of the community.