Scholarship Program Renamed to Honor Muñoz

BERMUDA DUNES – A scholarship program has been renamed in the name of a man who dedicated much of his life to students — Harry Lino Muñoz Jr.

Muñoz died on February 8, 2019 at his home in Bermuda Dunes.

Muñoz served as the Chairman of the Board for the Coachella Valley Community Trust (formerly known as the Indio Youth Task Force) from 1998 through 2013. Serving students was a well-documented passion of his.

Born and raised in Redlands, California Muñoz moved to the desert and continued working in education.  Harry was the principal of Jefferson Middle School, Wilson Middle School and Summit High School during his career with Desert Sands Unified.  As an educator, Muñoz understood the importance of continuing education and as the Chairman of Board; he was instrumental in the establishment of the CVCT scholarship program that provides scholarships to local high school seniors in the east valley.

CVCT is proud to honor Harry by renaming the scholarship program the “Harry Muñoz Jr Memorial Scholarship Program” in recognition of the man that made capturing kids hearts a daily practice.

Donations to the Harry Muñoz Jr Memorial Scholarship Program are tax deductible and accepted on the Coachella Valley Community Trust website. You may access the site by clicking here and then click on the “give back” button.

All money will go directly to supporting scholarships for east valley high schools (Indio, Shadow Hills, La Quinta, Amistad, Coachella Valley, Desert Mirage, West Shores and La Familia.

CVCT Is a 501(c)3 organization that supports youth programs in the eastern Coachella Valley.  Click here for more information or call 760-863-2333.

For 16 years, the Indio Youth Task Force lived as a source of hope dedicated to the benefit of helping, saving, serving, and loving our kids. It was a huge success.

In the end of 2012, a new direction arrived. The Task Force recognized that the underserved youth of the valley went well beyond the city borders of Indio. Coachella, Thermal, Mecca, and North Shore all face similar trials. Poverty, lack of transportation, lack of resources, and fewer events for kids make these areas of the valley vulnerable to crime, less youth development, and a lower quality of life for the future.

So, the Task Force expanded. It changed its name with the intent to serve the people of the entire community – the Coachella Valley.

Today, it is the Coachella Valley Community Trust. It exists to collaborate with the same dedicated volunteers and organizations and all of the cities in need. It is expanding its reach because everyone in this valley deserves to have hope in their future, to feel like a part of a community, and to get the chance to live like anyone should – safe, healthy, and happy, according to the Trust’s website.