Serving Our Schools

Creative Ways Fresno Community Members are Making their Neighborhoods Healthier

April 23, 2024 Ashley Goldsmith Neighborhood Presence, Parent Engagement, Serving Our Neighborhoods

Happy Earth Day! 🌎🌱🌻 Today, people around the world are celebrating efforts to care for our natural resources. We’re bringing Earth Day to Fresno as we share stories of two community members, like you and me, who are working to make our city a healthier place to live. Continue reading to also learn about ways you can be part of this work in your neighborhood!

What is the Impact of $903,060 in Volunteer Time?

April 3, 2024 Ashley Goldsmith Campus Presence, Community Outreach, ENP News, Literacy, Neighborhood Presence, Saturday Sports, Serving Our Neighborhoods, Serving Our Schools

Nonprofits like Every Neighborhood Partnership (ENP) cannot do what we do without volunteers.

In 2023, volunteers invested 28,938 hours in Fresno schools and neighborhoods through ENP’s School Support and Neighborhood Development programs. These hours are equal to $903,060.53 in value. That’s almost $1,000,000 of volunteer hours poured into the city of Fresno!

“If you look around your city and see things you want to change, but you don’t know how, start by volunteering with a nonprofit,” says Andrew Feil, ENP’s Executive Director. “Your time is worth more than you can imagine.”

1,017 volunteers

28,938 hours given

$903,060.53 in value

2023 Every Neighborhood Partnership Volunteer Data

Continue reading to learn what impact volunteers have on Fresno schools, neighborhoods, and future generations. ↓

Important Literacy Documentary, “The Right to Read,” Playing at Tower Theatre on March 4th

February 28, 2024 Ashley Goldsmith ENP News, Literacy, Partnership Spotlight

Fresno residents are invited to attend a local screening and panel discussion of the documentary, The Right to Read, at the historical Tower Theatre on Monday, March 4th at 6 PM.

A Pastor’s Challenge to Christians in our City

February 13, 2024 Ashley Goldsmith ENP News, Equipping, Neighborhood Presence, Serving Our Neighborhoods, Serving Our Schools

“What good is it to say, ‘I love my neighbor,’ but not be present with them?”

David Delgado, The Garage Community Church.

Two years ago, the principal of Pyle Elementary asked Every Neighborhood Partnership (ENP) if there was a local church who would like to partner with their school. He was specifically looking for volunteers to serve as mentors for their 5th and 6th grade students.

Pyle Elementary School is about a ten minute walk from The Garage Community Church. “They’re our neighbors,” says David Delgado, a deacon at the church.

The Most Important Contributor to a Student’s Academic Success

December 28, 2023 Ashley Goldsmith Literacy, Neighborhood Presence, Parent Engagement, Serving Our Schools

What is the most important contributor to a student’s success in school?

In Fresno Unified, 80% of students are unable to read at their grade level. Fresno schools are growing their early intervention programs and literacy mentors are providing one-on-one support to students. However, data shows reading skills and educational success are dependent on many factors outside the classroom.

In fact, “parental education might be the biggest factor” in determining a student’s academic success according to a 2022 EdSource article.

If parents are unable to read with their kids at home, don’t know about school events, or are unsure who to contact with concerns, their students are less likely to feel confident in school.

“Schools are doing a lot,” says Sabrina Rodarte, Every Neighborhood Partnership’s Extended Learning Coordinator. “What we need is more support for parents. We need to ask, how can we build up a parent so they can build up their child?”

Schools are doing a lot. What we need is more support for parents.
Sabrina Rodarte, ENP’s Extended Learning Coordinator

Working with Elementary Kids Changed This College Student’s Life

November 14, 2023 Ashley Goldsmith Campus Presence, Literacy, Neighborhood Presence, Partnership Spotlight, Saturday Sports, Serving Our Neighborhoods, Serving Our Schools

Before working with Every Neighborhood Partnership (ENP), Sheng Xiong says she felt she was at her lowest point in life. Her job at a fast food restaurant made it difficult for her to balance her college and work responsibilities.

When Sheng received a message to her Fresno State email about an opportunity to work with elementary-aged kids through ENP, “it felt like fate.”

How Free Saturday Lunches are Addressing Hunger among Fresno Children

June 19, 2023 Ashley Goldsmith Neighborhood Presence, Saturday Sports, Serving Our Schools

Hunger is a reality for many families in Fresno, California, and children are among the most vulnerable community members. The Fresno Mission and Every Neighborhood Partnership are working to change this.

Although the Central Valley produces a quarter of the country’s food supply, Fresno was ranked one of the most food insecure communities in the United States. Homes with children are about one-third more vulnerable to hunger than homes without children.

While children can eat school lunches throughout the week, some kids in our city may not have access to nutritious food on the weekends.

To help address this need, Every Neighborhood Partnership incorporates a snack or lunch in every one of our Saturday Sports programs, and this year, the Fresno Mission came alongside ENP to pack and provide the meals for every kid attending Saturday Sports.

Our Children’s Ability to Read Now Will Have a Lifelong and City-wide Impact

May 8, 2023 Ashley Goldsmith Campus Presence, Literacy, Parent Engagement, Serving Our Schools

In third grade, Sam reads stories about farm animals, giant peaches, and magical dragons. About 75% of his peers struggle to read at third grade level.

In sixth grade, Sam is a little taller and strong enough to lug around a backpack full of books he will pour over for his history project on Ancient Civilizations. This year, several of his former classmates don’t pass the history class because they’re unable to comprehend the assigned reading making up 85% of their curriculum.

In twelfth grade, Sam tours colleges, sifts through complex financial aid documents, and writes application essays. About 1 in 6 of his friends who weren’t reading at grade level in third grade have dropped out of high school.

Children’s ability to read has profound implications for their lives and their engagement with their community.

The Power of Tutoring: ENP’s Impact on FUSD

May 3, 2023 Grace Berg ENP News, Literacy, Serving Our Schools

GO Public Schools Fresno has released their 3rd and final report, titled Are The Kids Alright? In this report, they document academic achievement, equity and inequity, behavioral health, and how we move forward as a city for our kids.

Every Neighborhood Partnership is proud of to be highlighted in the report as a crucial and vital part of student’s academic and behavioral health recovery from COVID-19.

“Every Neighborhood Partnership has seen consistent growth with students who participate in their literacy tutoring [programs]….There is a clear benefit to enrolling students in this type of program.”

GO Public Schools Fresno

Read the rest of the report to hear a comprehensive understanding of the current state of Fresno schools in 2023.

Are the Kids Alright?

Why Every School in Fresno Needs a Garden

April 24, 2023 Ashley Goldsmith Campus Presence, ENP News, Parent Engagement, Serving Our Schools

Fresno community members were ranked the 3rd most food insecure in the United States according to a 2018 report from the Food Research & Action Center. Many families in Southwest Fresno live in “food deserts,” meaning there is no ready access to affordable, healthy food. A lack of access to and education about healthy, readily-available food contributes to significant and detrimental health effects such as obesity, diabetes, asthma, and autoimmune disorders.

Children are among the most vulnerable community members, and limited access to nutritious foods and education about healthy living make them more susceptible to poor health conditions.

A more hopeful reality is playing out on a sunny afternoon at Kepler Neighborhood School, where nine first-graders sit on the edge of their very own school garden boxes, giggling as they chomp on home-grown celery.

To address food disparity and support children in our city’s areas of highest need, Every Neighborhood Partnership is partnering with King Elementary and Kepler Neighborhood School to design and implement a pilot Edible School Garden project. ENP is working to expand the program to include a garden at every one of our after-school program sites by next school year!