How We Started

LD Thompson and David Rothmiller are writers, filmmakers, LGBT rights activists and the visionary founders of Sanctuary Palm Springs. Their journey with the foster care system began in 1994 when they were trained and licensed to work with boys in the SAY (Sexually Aggressive Youth) program in Washington State. After having five boys live in their home, they became foster parents for a family member – an infant who had just been released from intensive care treatment for pre-natal drug exposure.

Relocating to the Coachella Valley in 2010, they attained a California foster care license and then became the first gay Californians ever to be licensed by the state of Mississippi, allowing them to become foster parents of a transgender teen from that state. This experience gave them first-hand knowledge of the challenges facing LGBTQ+ foster youth living in foster care.

In 2017, LD and David’s passionate commitment to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ foster youth became a reality with Sanctuary Palm Springs, a home for LGBTQ+ foster youth transitioning from dependency to independent living. In 2021, Sanctuary Palm Springs merged with Oak Grove Center to become Oak Grove Sanctuary Palm Springs. This merger expanded the resources and support available to the youth.

Today, Oak Grove Sanctuary Palm Springs continues to meet the changing and growing needs of LGBTQ+ foster youth. The program offers safe, stable housing and supportive resources to help youth move beyond their painful past to become self-sufficient, thriving members of our community.