Arlene Rosenthal, longtime advocate for homelessness services, dies at 79

Arlene Rosenthal, a staunch leader of homeless services in the Coachella Valley, died Tuesday evening following a months-long battle with an infection, according to close friends. She was 79 years old.

"It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to our sister, friend and advocate for the homeless and less fortunate. She passed away peacefully this evening," a statement on Rosenthal's Facebook page reads. "Arlene we will all miss you! Thank you for all you have done for each one of us and the community."

Rosenthal spent decades working in community service to help those who were unable to advocate for themselves. Most recently, she served as the president of the nonprofit Well in the Desert, a Palm Springs-based homeless services provider, for more than two decades. She announced her retirement in July, and the organization's vice president, Matt Naylor, succeeded her.

She was born and raised in Los Angeles and received a bachelor's degree in Spanish at the University of California Los Angeles. Over her lifetime, she worked as a bilingual teacher, started a custom-clothing business and lived throughout California until she moved to the desert in 1973. Her brother, Larry, said Rosenthal and her partner loved the outdoors and lived a modest life, raising chickens and goats and growing their own vegetables.

But no matter where she was, her "spirit of community stuck," and she worked with various organizations to help those who needed it the most, according to a biography on the Well in the Desert's website.

"It was as a child that my parents taught me the value of community action and interaction and the idea that we had an obligation to help make things better in the world in which we lived," she wrote.

She initially served on the board for Well in the Desert, and then became its president.

Rosenthal was unafraid to stand up to those in power and those who questioned her advocacy work and methods. In 2021, the Palm Springs City Council cut ties with the Well in the Desert, revoking the nonprofit’s conditional-use permit for its location on Calle Encilia and axing plans to relocate the homeless services center to the former Palm Springs Boxing Club near the airport. There were allegations of financial mismanagement and operational issues within the nonprofit, and several community members complained that the Well was attracting crime and bringing quality-of-life issues to the surrounding neighborhood.

Nonetheless, the Well continued to serve hundreds of meals a day, provide clothing and transportation vouchers and help people get back on their feet.

"The Well in the Desert offers dignity, compassion, respect and tough love to a community at risk. We deserve better than what happened a year ago," Rosenthal and Naylor wrote in a May 2022 opinion piece in The Desert Sun. "We continue to be advocates for those that don’t have a voice. We thank those in the community that do have passion and donate to the cause. We are not going anywhere."

Palm Springs Mayor Grace Garner said in a statement: "Arlene’s advocacy was a force to be reckoned with at a time when there were few people willing to be a voice for the homeless in our community. We thank Arlene for her contribution to combatting homelessness in Palm Springs. On behalf of our citizens, we send our deepest condolences to her family and many friends."

‘Continue her voice’

Naylor, who knew Rosenthal for more than a decade, said they initially bonded over their love of music, but their friendship expanded once she showed him her passion for advocacy and he became involved in the Well. He recalled one grocery trip to Ralphs where she met a man who needed a new pair of shoes. Without hesitating, she bought him what he needed.

"This is what her legacy was: showing that as individuals, we can make a difference, and it takes a village," Naylor said, holding back tears. "That's what her motto would be: Fighting for the rights of those that don't have a voice. She was the voice, and we're going to continue her voice."

Naylor added that an upcoming musical about homelessness, "Off The Street," by him and Jeanie Cunningham will be dedicated in Rosenthal's honor. Performances will take place Nov. 6 through 21 at the Revolution Stage Company in Palm Springs.

Rosenthal's brother, Larry, said she spent the past 20 years "fighting for the Well," whether it was to save facilities, get food out to the poor or stand up for her work.

"One thing about my sister is she's fearless. Nobody scared her. She could go to the mayor, she could go to city council members, and not always the most diplomatic person by any means, but she would fight for her belief, and Arlene would never sway."

He added that she mentored many children, including two young boys, Justin and Joey, and she was a "surrogate mother" to them.

Though she could be fierce, close friends remember her as a kind-hearted, dedicated and unique woman.

Cunningham said it's "a lost art" for people to care about total strangers and Rosenthal was a master of it.

Eric Frankson, who runs the bike program for Well in the Desert, wrote in a Facebook post that Rosenthal took him under her wings to show him how to compassionately work with those who are homeless and suffering from addiction or mental health struggles. In turn, he added, she inspired others around her.

"You have been a lion in defense of all of your homeless clients and the organization that is so important to your heart. But even lions get tired. You, my lion-hearted friend, are now at peace," Frankson wrote. "You've left footprints bigger than your own. You will be remembered by all as a champion of the poor and downtrodden."

Susan Stein, local fashion icon, told The Desert Sun on Wednesday: "I’ve known Arlene ever since I’ve been in the desert. She was a sincere force with a genuinely gigantic heart. I admired her strength, straight forward attitude and tenacity. I was impressed by her talent for custom men’s fashion, passion for music and appreciation of the arts. She showed and taught me things about this valley that touched my heart, and hopefully she rests in peace knowing that she made a huge impact on many, many people."

"Arlene was the most remarkable woman," DeAnn Lubell, publicist and founder of nonprofit Amy's Purpose, told The Desert Sun. "A humanitarian with a heart filled with sincere love for all especially for the hungry who were down on their luck. I’ll miss her smiles and laughter. If she loved you, watch out — you knew it by the way her face would light up and her giant bear hugs. Many didn’t realize that she was also an amazing clothes designer. She will be missed."

AAP - Food Samaritans' CEO and Executive Director Mark Anton said Rosenthal was a "cherished and loving friend" for more than 25 years. Though she was "not the most diplomatically or politically correct person at times," Anton admits, she still cared about those she looked out for and was not afraid to speak out loud.

"She had a special one-of-a-kind golden heart that I’ve rarely encountered. I feel her untimely and too sudden departure from the world was because she was so involved taking care of others that she put herself and her own well-being aside," Anton said. "I’m heartbroken and only wished I could have done something more to ensure we all had her around longer."

"Arlene was an amazing woman and activist who went above and beyond to help out the homeless population in the desert, a true inspiration to many whose wisdom will be missed but not forgotten," Paulina Angel, founder, director and CEO at Transgender Resource, Advocacy & Network Service, told The Desert Sun.

Psychotherapist Carol Teitelbaum has worked with men and women who have suffered trauma and abuse in their lives. Reflecting on her years working with Rosenthal, she commended the advocate's love and drive to help homeless families. Teitelbaum was also inspired by Rosenthal's passion to enrich children's lives, whether it be by showing them the arts or providing gifts and food to young children and their families on Christmas each year.

Rosenthal touched many people's lives, Teitelbaum said, and helped many get back on their feet, become more confident and stand proud. Many who were previously homeless even volunteered at the Well's events.

"There will never be anyone like her," Teitelbaum said.

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

As the philanthropy editor at The Desert Sun, Winston Gieseke writes about nonprofits, fundraising and locals who give back. Reach him at winston.gieseke@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Arlene Rosenthal, Palm Springs homeless services advocate, dies at 79