Andrew sits down with Mariana Diaz, of Mennonite Central Committee West Coast, to talk about not only her personal story of immigration, but local immigration policies, ways to navigate and learn the system, and how to be a better neighbor to our local undocumented community.
Considering our current cultural moment, Andrew and Grace process the current administration’s philosophy on immigration in light of ENP values and point of view.
The two discuss how their personal faith is intersecting with the issue of immigration, and frame up for listeners why we’re taking a pause to learn from experts who have dedicated their lives or careers to people who live in the shadows of citizenship.
As we finish out our conversation about being a good neighbor, we finish our series with Christian Gonzalez and Samai Munoz. Both women work personally with women and residents in our urban communities here in Fresno, and have the lived experience of working with people at a slower and messier pace than we would like in order to see real change. Samai is Mexican born, Fresno raised, and transformed through the power of travel, language, people, cultures and traditions. She finds herself continually learning through life experiences about radical acceptance of others and hyper-inclusive spaces. Samai is committed to evolving, self-development and growth in order to be a better family member, friend, and neighbor. Christian Gonzalez is the eldest daughter of immigrant parents. She is the Manager of Neighborhood Development She has worked both in ministry and in local place-making initiatives that build on adopted city plans, policies, and smart mobility streetscapes to encourage new mixed-use housing, businesses, public amenities, and jobs.
Today we get the privilege to sit down with and laugh with Pastor DJ Criner! DJ is a pastor, teacher, and visionary here in Fresno as he shepherds the people of Southwest Fresno at St Rest Baptist Church. DJ shares his thoughts about what it means for a church and a pastor to be a good neighbor in their space and place. The three chat theology, contexual ministry, community work, and city flourishing.
Mike Oz is the guy who knows a thing or two about finding the best things about where he lives and making them a pretty big deal. Andrew, Grace and Mike talk about what it takes to care about your city so much that you begin to make places for people to hang out at. Mike is the pro at this in Fresno, we are grateful we got the chance to pick his brain about why Fresno refuses to love itself, and creating spaces where people may just change their mind. You can find out more about Fresno Street Eats here: https://fresnostreeteats.com/ Mike Osegueda (aka Mike Oz) is the president/founder of Fresno Street Eats, which serves as both an events company and a business development group for mobile food vendors. Mike lived the first half of his life in the Bay Area, but has adopted Fresno has his home after living here for more than 20 years now, having moved to the 559 to work for The Fresno Bee. In the time that he’s been in Fresno, he’s taken a big interest in Fresno’s inferiority complex, putting a spotlight on the things that make it cool (like tacos!) and building rad things for the community.
It’s December 19th and it felt fitting that we paused for a moment to recognize the season we are in. Grace and Andrew discuss Advent, the meaning and purpose of the season, and how the God we serve made deliberate choices to come as baby, born into poverty, already so needy.
God is in the Manger, by Dietrick Bonhoeffer
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift, by Ann Voskamp
Every Neighborhood Partnership is a Fresno, CA based non-profit that exists to Activate. Equip. Mobilize and Transform so that our students excel, community members are healthy and whole, and our neighborhoods thrive. Learn more about us by visiting https://everyneighborhood.org or @enpfresno on socials.
Two of Fresno’s conveners join us today on the podcast to talk about creating spaces and places so that every neighbor is welcome. The four talk about how hospitality is radically inclusive, invested, advocates for those whose voices aren’t heard as loud, and extremely simple. This episode talks specifically about the different ways Fresno High and the Tower District neighborhoods have activated hospitality, so please enjoy and learn about what it could look like for you in your neighborhood! Simon Biasell is a third-generation San Joaquin Valley Presbyterian pastor and currently serves at the Big Red Church and Woven Coalition for Justice. Over the past two decades, Simon has worked to build radical hospitality within faith-based groups and is passionate bringing people together and mobilizing communities to dismantle systems of oppression and exclusion. He and his wife Natasha live in the Fresno High neighborhood with their two children, Paloma and Pax. Nichole Castech has lived in Fresno’s Tower/Fresno High area for six years and has called Fresno home since 2010. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Chico State and a master’s degree in Leadership and Organizational Studies from Fresno Pacific University. Active in her community, Nichole serves on the boards of the Tower Neighborhood Association and Tower District Business Association and is a member of the District 1 Project Review Committee. In her free time, she enjoys paddleboarding at Millerton Lake and exploring her neighborhood on leisurely strolls. To learn about Tower Porch Fest: https://www.towerporchfest.org To learn about Fresno High Home Tours: https://www.fhshometour.com To learn about the Big Red Church: https://bigredchurch.org Every Neighborhood Partnership is a Fresno, CA based non-profit that exists to Activate. Equip. Mobilize and Transform so that our students excel, community members are healthy and whole, and our neighborhoods thrive. Learn more about us by visiting https://everyneighborhood.org or @enpfresno on socials.
Being a neighbor doesn’t mean you just happen to live in a place! Ivan and Karl teach us today what it means to lift the head of our neighbor and empower them to change the culture and landscape of their place. The four talk disempowerment, how the ability to choose is the ultimate privilege, and that the dream that neighborhoods would be marked by equity. We learn more about Community Land Use Academy (CLUA), run by the team here at ENP. This episode is full of long term wonder for the future of our neighborhoods, and really practical advice about how to identify the positive markers in your neighborhood.
To learn more about CLUA learn more here: https://everyneighborhood.org/nd/
To learn about the FresGO app, click here: https://www.fresno.gov/3-1-1/
Ivan grew up in Fresno and is a graduate of Fresno Pacific University (FPU). Ivan majored in pre-law and in religious studies (general religion). He also has a master’s degree in theology and teaches a master’s level course at FPU called “Forming A Community of Mercy, Justice, and Peace”, where he partners theology with community organizing frameworks to help students think deeply about community and develop plans for engagement. He has been active in community development work in Fresno for over 10 years, has launched community programs, and is a member of First Presbyterian Church Fresno. Karl lived in five different cities until 2014, when he moved to Fresno to work in urban ministry. He studied Environmental Science and Urban Planning as an undergraduate, which galvanized his love for living things and inhabited places. He later earned his Master’s Degree in theology before working in Catholic parish ministry. You can still find him leading music at his parish as a volunteer, but Karl is grateful that ENP allows him to weave together his passions for justice, learning, and intercultural engagement for the sake of the city’s long-term prosperity. He lives with his wife Alyssa and their cat Koestler, and loves creating things like artwork, playlists, travel plans, and hand-prepared cups of coffee.
Who is my neighbor?
Andrew and Grace introduce our new series, A Good Neighbor. This series will focus on what it means to advocate for your neighbor, what it means to be long term invested in people and place, and how to show up and in small and big ways. On this episode, Andrew and Grace share their personal experience and context with what they’ve learned about neighboring, they answer the question of who is their neighbor in their faith context, and also what are some simple ways that you can show up for your neighbor.
We hope you enjoy this series!
On this final episode in our series, For the Long Haul, Andrew and Grace sit down with Julie and Jaeden from Central Valley Community Foundation to discuss the issue of racism and how it has impacted our city long term. The four discuss our community’s prejudices, assumptions, and biases and what we can all do to join the conversation around changing the course of the future.
