Local beef jerky company aims to help feed Coachella Valley's unhoused

The folks behind Divine Bovine Jerky believe that company equals family. And this philosophy extends beyond blood relatives. The locally owned company has been making its gourmet beef jerky made from premium brisket for more than 20 years.

Wanting to give back, the company, in partnership with Dream Cloud, recently launched a new Urban Philanthropy Initiative called Project Jerky. This grass roots donation program has been providing free bags of jerky to help feed members of the Coachella Valley's unhoused community.

The roots of Divine Bovine trace back to a small village in southern Italy. A local butcher known as "Pops" loved to make jerky, and he experimented with a variety of beef cuts and seasonings. He discovered that for beef jerky, the sweetest and most tender cut was brisket. His creation was a hit, and years later, Pops' Coachella Valley-based grandson, Anthony Longo, brought the family recipes to the masses.

Longo's son, Nico Andretti, is the mastermind and chief dreamer behind Dream Cloud, a professional services network that assists local businesses with everything from branding and trademarks to legal advice and marketing. It was he who came up with the idea to market Divine Bovine's jerky while also giving back.

Andretti admits that Project Jerky began as an experiment in marketing. "We were looking to grow on social media and to grow as a company, and my initial thought was, 'Why don't we go interview people, have them taste it and get their reaction?' And then I thought, 'If you're going to be out there walking around, you might as well do something beneficial, especially considering the people out there who are hungry.'

"It seemed like an obvious win-win for us and the community," he says.

So far, Andretti has donated an estimated 400 bags to unhoused individuals. And the jerky has not been donated; while waiting for the project to take off, Andretti has been purchasing the bags with his own money.

Andretti, who studied architecture, has long wanted to help the unhoused. After college in San Diego, he moved to New York, where he worked for a big firm. His clients were wealthy and building third vacation homes, both upstate and in Wyoming. Andretti knew there were huge populations of homeless people but soon realized it wasn't something he could address in that particular job, so he looked for other ways to help.

"I started volunteering at The Bowery Mission in downtown Manhattan," he says. "It was a part-time program where people would come and stay. A lot of restaurants in the area donated food. We would prepare the meals and pick through the fruit to make sure it wasn't spoiled. And then we would line up and serve people, many of whom were unhoused veterans. That was my first experience with it."

He had found his passion. During the pandemic when the world shut down, he returned to the desert and began working for his father's company. It was his love of giving back combined with a great family product that inspired Project Jerky. "I thought we had the perfect project with the perfect product to give out," he says.

As his numerous online videos show, Andretti simply takes to the streets and asks people if they want free jerky. If they say yes, he gives them a bag or two, then moves on. If the person opens the bag right away, he waits for their reaction. So far, they have all been positive.

For Andretti, this compassionate project is just the beginning of his philanthropic journey. "At some point I'd like to offer something that is a little more sustainable for the people who are out there. Something that could help them get back on their feet and earn some income and then potentially have a path back into something that could be prosperous for them."

But for now, he's proud of his efforts. "This is a little bright light in my life that gives me hope that I can help other people," Andretti says. "So, it's something I don't plan on stopping."

Dream Cloud would like to inspire more food companies to join its Urban Philanthropy Initiative. Learn more at dreamcloudclub.org/philanthropy.

Want to help with Project Jerky? Consider adding a "donation bag" to your cart when shopping online at divinebovinejerky.com. There are also options to select a four-pack, six-box or eight-case donation. Every purchase will help provide essential nutrition to the unhoused, making an important difference in their lives.

Visit divinebovinejerky.com/collections/donation-program to learn more.

As philanthropy editor at The Desert Sun, Winston Gieseke writes about nonprofits, fundraising and locals who give back, like his beloved dog Ernie Banks, who volunteers at the local cancer center. Reach him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Local beef jerky company aims to help feed Coachella Valley's unhoused