<span fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(27, 27, 27); color: rgb(27, 27, 27); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); float: none; display: inline !important;" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration:none;caret-color:rgb(27, 27, 27);color:rgb(27, 27, 27);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:18px;text-align:left;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);float:none;display:inline !important">Joshua Tree Gateway Communities Alliance (JTGCA) is a newly-formed, 501 3(c) not for profit, community-based organization, founded to foster the spirit of community advocacy and collaboration. Our mission is to provide economic growth and development via collective impact in an emerging recreation/rural economy. <span fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); float: none; display: inline !important;" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration:none;caret-color:rgb(51, 51, 51);color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:18px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);float:none;display:inline !important"><span contenteditable="false" fr-original-class="fr-img-caption fr-draggable" fr-original-style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" style="width:600px;display:block;vertical-align:top;margin:5px auto;text-align:center;position:relative;max-width:100%"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1729897506/tely4fpaqezsgox0whdn.png" style="width:600px;display:block;vertical-align:top;margin:5px auto;text-align:center;position:relative;max-width:100%;cursor:pointer;padding:0px 1px;-webkit-user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit" /><span contenteditable="true" fr-original-class="fr-inner" fr-original-style style="outline:transparent solid 0px;margin:auto;display:block;padding:5px 5px 10px;font-size:14px;font-weight:400;box-sizing:border-box;opacity:0.9;width:100%">Eric (on left) with fellow founding members of the Twentynine Palms Downtown Business Association which was established in 2021.   Above picture was taken at the Freedom Plaza grand opening event "Party at The Plaza" in March, 2021. <span fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial; font-size: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); float: none; display: inline !important;" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration:none;caret-color:rgb(51, 51, 51);color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Arial;font-size:18px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);float:none;display:inline !important">My name is Eric, and in 2018, I set out to do things differently when it came to the way we look at vacation rentals and tourism in the Morongo Basin / Joshua Tree Gateway Communities.    After a back injury ended my 20+year career in nursing/healthcare, I founded a company called Desert Beacon which quickly became one of the top three vacation rental companies in the Inland Empire, according to AirDNA.   We did things differently at Desert Beacon, and our primary focus was on community development and taking care of our neighbors.   Desert Beacon, at the request of the City of Twentynine Palms, worked to develop a successful "Good Neighbor" vacation home rental certificate program to increase compliance and encourage responsible hosting practices at a time of an unpresidential number of vacation home rental applications in the aftermath of Covid-19.   Unfortunately, due to shifting market conditions and unsustainable losses, Desert Beacon had to cease operations at the end of 2023. <span fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial; font-size: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); float: none; display: inline !important;" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration:none;caret-color:rgb(51, 51, 51);color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Arial;font-size:18px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);float:none;display:inline !important">Our entire region suffered a major trauma during Covid-19 and during the immediate aftermath of the market correction which followed.  One thing was clear as the dust settled, a serious lack of regional oversight when it comes to tourism was lacking across our entire region.   The surge of vacation rentals after Covid was nothing any one city, town or County could have anticipated, and our goal is not to lay nor place blame on any one person or entity in particular.  However, as 2024 comes to an end, we must now insist that the stakeholders throughout our entire region, our municipalities, and our fellow community-members begin to have serious conversations to prevent anything like this from happening in the future. <span fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial; font-size: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); float: none; display: inline !important;" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration:none;caret-color:rgb(51, 51, 51);color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Arial;font-size:18px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);float:none;display:inline !important">Our community is resilient.  I see possibilities and potential throughout our communities, and I see people who are creative, kind and resourceful.   I also see people who are struggling due to inequities when it comes to lack of support from our government, especially at the County level.   Businesses are struggling just as hard.   I learned a lot about business and how our city/town and county government operate when it comes to regulations surrounding tourism, and I have intimate knowledge of how much revenue the tourism industry generates in the form of Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOT).   It is time for us to band together as a region and speak up to our elected officials and municipal representatives. We must demand our fair share of resources and reinvestment of TOT funds within our local communities. <span fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial; font-size: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); float: none; display: inline !important;" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration:none;caret-color:rgb(51, 51, 51);color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Arial;font-size:18px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);float:none;display:inline !important">As we begin this journey, we are seeking to raise funds to continue our mission and keep the dialogue going.  If you cannot contribute financially, we would be happy to have anyone willing to contribute their time to volunteer for our cause.   In my opinion, in-kind donation of time/services is one of the most highly-undervalued assets which our community possesses, and we must stop and acknowledge the value that the time that each and every one of us contributes to our community is extremely valuable. <span fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial; font-size: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); float: none; display: inline !important;" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration:none;caret-color:rgb(51, 51, 51);color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Arial;font-size:18px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);float:none;display:inline !important">Thank you so much for your consideration! <span fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial; font-size: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); float: none; display: inline !important;" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration:none;caret-color:rgb(51, 51, 51);color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Arial;font-size:18px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);float:none;display:inline !important">Eric Menendez<span fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial; font-size: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); float: none; display: inline !important;" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration:none;caret-color:rgb(51, 51, 51);color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Arial;font-size:18px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);float:none;display:inline !important">Joshua Tree Gateway Communities Alliance

Hello <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip" fr-original-style style="background-color:rgb(248, 248, 255);border:1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255);border-radius:4px;color:rgb(42, 42, 196);padding:1px 8px;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;display:inline-block;margin:0px;overflow-wrap:anywhere;-webkit-user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit">First name, Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting our cause. This donation greatly helps our mission. If you would like to contribute further to our cause, contact us to become a volunteer, or spread the word about our mission! Eric Menendez eric@jtgca.org

Hello First name,
 
 Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for registering to fundraise for our cause. Your efforts will make a significant impact, and we are excited to have you as part of our fundraising team. 👏
 
 💡 Here are some tips for sharing your campaign:
 <ol>
 <li>Personalize Your Story: Share why this cause is important to you. Personal stories resonate more with potential donors.</li>
 <li>Use Social Media: Post about your campaign on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn. Include the campaign link and a compelling image or video.</li>
 <li>Email Your Network: Send a personal email to friends, family, and colleagues explaining why you are fundraising and how they can help.</li>
 <li>Regular Updates: Keep your supporters informed with updates on your progress and any milestones you reach. This keeps them engaged and more likely to share your campaign.</li>
 </ol>
 Eric Menendez eric@jtgca.org

Joshua Tree Gateway Communities Alliance (JTGCA) is a newly-formed, 501 3(c) not for profit, community-based organization, founded to foster the spirit of community advocacy and collaboration. Our mission is to provide economic growth and development via collective impact in an emerging recreation/rural economy. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1729897506/tely4fpaqezsgox0whdn.png" style="width:600px;display:block;vertical-align:top;margin:5px auto;text-align:center;position:relative;cursor:pointer;padding:0px 1px;-webkit-user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit;max-width:100%" />Eric (on left) with fellow founding members of the Twentynine Palms Downtown Business Association which was established in 2021.   Above picture was taken at the Freedom Plaza grand opening event "Party at The Plaza" in March, 2021. My name is Eric, and in 2018, I set out to do things differently when it came to the way we look at vacation rentals and tourism in the Morongo Basin / Joshua Tree Gateway Communities.    After a back injury ended my 20+year career in nursing/healthcare, I founded a company called Desert Beacon which quickly became one of the top three vacation rental companies in the Inland Empire, according to AirDNA.   We did things differently at Desert Beacon, and our primary focus was on community development and taking care of our neighbors.   Desert Beacon, at the request of the City of Twentynine Palms, worked to develop a successful "Good Neighbor" vacation home rental certificate program to increase compliance and encourage responsible hosting practices at a time of an unpresidential number of vacation home rental applications in the aftermath of Covid-19.   Unfortunately, due to shifting market conditions and unsustainable losses, Desert Beacon had to cease operations at the end of 2023. Our entire region suffered a major trauma during Covid-19 and during the immediate aftermath of the market correction which followed.  One thing was clear as the dust settled, a serious lack of regional oversight when it comes to tourism was lacking across our entire region.   The surge of vacation rentals after Covid was nothing any one city, town or County could have anticipated, and our goal is not to lay nor place blame on any one person or entity in particular.  However, as 2024 comes to an end, we must now insist that the stakeholders throughout our entire region, our municipalities, and our fellow community-members begin to have serious conversations to prevent anything like this from happening in the future. Our community is resilient.  I see possibilities and potential throughout our communities, and I see people who are creative, kind and resourceful.   I also see people who are struggling due to inequities when it comes to lack of support from our government, especially at the County level.   Businesses are struggling just as hard.   I learned a lot about business and how our city/town and county government operate when it comes to regulations surrounding tourism, and I have intimate knowledge of how much revenue the tourism industry generates in the form of Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOT).   It is time for us to band together as a region and speak up to our elected officials and municipal representatives. We must demand our fair share of resources and reinvestment of TOT funds within our local communities. As we begin this journey, we are seeking to raise funds to continue our mission and keep the dialogue going.  If you cannot contribute financially, we would be happy to have anyone willing to contribute their time to volunteer for our cause.   In my opinion, in-kind donation of time/services is one of the most highly-undervalued assets which our community possesses, and we must stop and acknowledge the value that the time that each and every one of us contributes to our community is extremely valuable. Thank you so much for your consideration! Eric MenendezJoshua Tree Gateway Communities Alliance

Joshua Tree Gateway Communities Alliance

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