For 33 years, The Way Station has been preaching the gospel and feeding the hungry here in the Morongo Basin. But recently, they’ve been wrestling with the county over site issues, leaving the food ministry with an uncertain future. Reporter Heather Clisby has more details …
The Way Station, a food ministry operating out of the same Joshua Tree location for the last 18 years, has been feeding souls and stomachs in the area since 1986. But what began with an erroneous complaint to the county’s Public Health Department a year and a half ago has grown into a frustrating entanglement that threatens to halt their services.
After the call prompted a full inspection, the county’s Environmental Health Department provided a list of to-dos to the ministry. The Way Station engaged the services of Design Concepts in Yucca Valley at some cost, changes were made and plans were submitted. On Friday, October 4, The Way Station received word that the plans had been rejected and additional changes must be made to become compliant with state and local laws.
Co-Director Dennis Potter stated that for an entity that runs entirely on donations, the pricey list of changes leaves them “in limbo.” These include an expanded septic system, covered refrigeration, and updated delivery trucks, though the current vehicles are in good working order. In an ironic twist, the county insists on a building addition to house canned goods; Founding Director Steve Cook had previously applied for that exact plan only to be rejected by the county citing a risk-location in an active flood plain.
From their location at 61722 Commercial Street, The Way Station serves hot meals to 30-100 people daily and assists seven other food pantries in the area. Cook told Z107.7FM by phone, “We want to be compliant but we need help.”
The Way Station can be reached at 760-366-8088 or online at http://www.hidesertwaystation.com.
