Desert Best Friend’s Closet (DBFC) gave Matthew McLeroy the tools to be successful. He achieved that with his business, Resort Carpet and Tile Cleaning. But, he did not forget to give back.
“I came through the employment services of Desert Best Friend’s Closet,” McLeroy says. “I was going through a time in my life when I needed some assistance in my resume writing and job development. And then I stayed in touch with the organization [and] volunteered, and then ultimately, it turned into a new career for me.”
Desert Best Friend’s Closet was founded by Connie Golds in 2009. The non-profit organization started out supplying free prom dresses to young ladies in the Valley. Its mission has expanded significantly since then. The organization supplies high-quality dress clothing for men and women who are seeking employment. It also helps job seekers write resumes, refine interviewing skills, and enter the job market.
The organization’s mission goes beyond prepping clients for the workforce. McLeroy describes its Bridge to Employment program. “Once they're employed, then we stay in touch with them for 90 days just to ensure that there's no training issues or just issues between the consumer and the employer,” he says. “We stay in touch with them indefinitely. We have a rewards program where they can come back to us with their first paycheck and their second paycheck and their third paycheck, and each time they can come and get some more outfits for free.”
After re-entering the workforce, McLeroy volunteered with Desert Best Friend's Closet as a job developer, connecting people to local opportunities. When Golds retired, McLeroy eventually took over as director of programs. He says the position enabled him to get involved and give back to the community through other roles such as walk chairman for the Alzheimer’s Association. The Coachella Valley native and graduate of Palm Desert High School is president-elect of the Indio Sunrise Rotary Club, and a member of Desert Elite Referral Partners. Soon, he’ll be on the alumni board of College of the Desert.
Despite this demanding schedule, McLeroy felt the tug of entrepreneurship. He wanted to start a business that would enable him to create jobs for DBFC’s clients. Last year, he met up with Andrew Hernandez through Desert Elite Referral Partners. After learning that Hernandez had a background in tile and carpet care, McLeroy pitched the idea of going into business together.
“The more I thought about it, I thought, ‘Yeah, I’m ready to move on to something of my own,’” Hernandez says. He and McLeroy launched Resort Carpet and Tile Care shortly after that. Hernandez says their business got a huge boost when another acquaintance in the referral group introduced them to her father, who owned the needed equipment and was willing to sell it at a good price. They were in business by October 2024.
And business is good. Resort Carpet and Tile Care is available for both small residential and large commercial jobs. McLeroy and Hernandez take on extremely challenging work. For example, at some restaurants, they need to get in and set up as the business closes for the night, then clean and dry the tiles and carpets by the time the restaurant’s crew arrives the next morning. They tackled 36,000 square feet of carpet for San Joaquin Valley College in Rancho Mirage.
McLeroy says one of the most satisfying signs of the success of their business was being able to hire one of Desert Best Friend's Closet’s clients as its first employee. “He had a tough childhood, but is completely committed to his family and doing well,” McLeroy says. “It’s great to see him succeed.”
