Palm Desert Celebrates Outdoor Worker Appreciation Week

The City of Palm Desert partnered with local businesses to say thank you to those who continue to work all summer long.

With triple digit temperatures almost all summer long, it’s important that those who spend their day to day lives outside, maintaining and improving our communities, feel appreciated, not just today but all year long. 

What once was just Outdoor Worker Appreciation Day has now, as of this year, turned into Outdoor Worker Appreciation Week.

The City of Palm Desert hosted outdoor workers for a sit-down breakfast, Thursday morning, to say thank you.

“You know, you realize that they do recognize you and the work you do. I tell the guys you know on my team that you know, hey take your water, make sure you’re out there prepared for this heat, hats whatever. When it comes from higher staff you know it’s really nice.” says Robert Becerra, a Traffic Signal Specialist for the city.

Becerra says it’s really about those workers that spend the majority of their hours in the triple digit heat.

“We do work a lot outdoors. I mean the other day we were changing out a traffic signal cabinet and it was 116 degrees, but I get to go, come back into the office later on, I consider the outdoor workers really a lot more of the guys that are out on streets who are out there all the time.” Becerra says.

Outdoor workers like Guillermo Contreras, have found ways to work around the scorching temperatures.

“Well, in terms of work hours, we try to start earlier in the day we get here, like at around 5:30 when we can start to see the sun starts coming up and we can start to kind of see what we’re doing, and then we leave earlier. We try to leave to avoid the hot temps.” Contreras says.

The mayor just wanted to show her thanks as well.

“Just to each and every outdoor worker in the city or any supported businesses, we love you, we appreciate you. Thank you.” Palm Desert’s Mayor Kathleen Kelly says.

The one responsible… California Assemblyman Greg Wallis, who turned what was just a one day event, into a week-long celebration.   

“It’s always important to say thank you but when it’s 115 degrees, I mean man it really just brings the point home to, to thank these men and women who are actually out there fighting on the frontlines for us.” Assemblymember Greg Wallis says.

Outdoor worker appreciation week continues until the 23rd of this month, with many hopeful that this week-long celebration continues year after year.