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.”
Fresno has the highest concentrated poverty rate in California, 8 in 10 students are struggling to read at grade level, and many families are experiencing food insecurity.
For those who are led by the teachings of Jesus, apathy and non action are not viable responses to these realities.
“[If you believe] that everybody [is] made in the image of God…You have to care about the people who live next door!
Joe White, Pastor of Neighborhood Church
But where does a church begin to address this issue? How can a church address the struggles our city faces in a lasting, meaningful way?
Put simply, they can’t. Not alone.
All the injustices we can name come down to land and who is control of it.
~ Ivan Paz, Community Land Use Academy Project Manager, Every Neighborhood Partnership
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.
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.
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!
“We need 100 more Lilias. She is a force to be reckoned with.”
Andrew Feil, Executive Director of Every Neighborhood Partnership
Lilia Becerril never imagined starting her own organization.
She held a deep passion for serving her community, but her inability to speak English felt like an insurmountable barrier.
Living in a community with the highest concentration of poverty in California, lower life expectancies, and some of the greatest economic and racial disparities in the United States, Lilia knew there was a great need for change. For 29 years, Lilia worked as a local volunteer, advocating for and providing resources to help Fresno residents to live healthier and empowered lives.
Every person I have ever encountered who has worked for any type of system has seen some type of injustice. It makes [us] nervous to say anything, but LivingUNDIVIDED has created a space for us to be open and honest.
Jessica Criner, LivingUNDIVIDED Facilitator
LivingUNDIVIDED 2023 is launching on February 27th and will take place on Monday nights from 6:30-8:30 PM at Butler Church. LivingUNDIVIDED is a 6-week cohort experience designed to empower individuals from churches and faith-based organizations to to change the narrative of racial justice. Communities engage in faith grounding, teaching, small group conversations, activities, and assignments in pursuit of racial solidarity and justice. If you are asking:
Jessica Criner and Jenny Plumb, LivingUNDIVIDED 2023 facilitators, answer these important questions in the powerful video below.
