Serving Our Neighborhoods

CalWalks and Southwest Fresno

When trying to get from point A to point B in a safe and speedy fashion, yet finding yourself at a standstill, whether because of a train and/or an overly long red light, this can be quite an inconvenience. Or, could the perceived disruption en route be an opportunity? Unfortunately, in Southwest Fresno, for those who live, work, play, and find themselves more often than not in Southwest Fresno, the disruptions have been evident for far too long.

In light of ENP actively seeking to establish and deepen existing relationships with residents in the 93706 zip code, those most impacted by the lack of streetscape development, we were able to respond to the call for the needed infrastructure improvements. 

On July 20, 2021, ENP partnered with Southwest Residents, Fresno Housing, and Fresno County Department of Public Health for a virtual tour led by Cal Berkeley CalWalks of three street segments in Southwest Fresno: A street, California Ave, and Church Ave. Residents were able to share firsthand areas that were missing, in their entirety, basic infrastructure and absolutely in need of infrastructure implementation. The end goal is to establish safe, just, and inclusive streets and public spaces. In the end, the virtual audit was a success! CalWalks was able to provide an extensive report which included an overall project summary and recommendations.

With an established team set in place, ENP will continue working with residents in moving our findings from ideas to tangible and positive changes in Southwest Fresno.  Some of those potential projects are as follows:

Daniel DominguezCalWalks and Southwest Fresno
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Neighborhood Health and Wellness Impact Report

ENP’s Neighborhood Health and Wellness team has been hard at work this year with launching new programs and expanding current ones! Read our Impact Report of our Promotora/Community Health Worker program carried out in partnership with FCHIP (Fresno Community Health Improvement Partnership) to learn more about the strives for holistic health being taken in our community.

Gabrielle PicenoNeighborhood Health and Wellness Impact Report
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Hub Highlight: Another Level Training Academy

We wanted to highlight one of our HUB highlights in the Webster Neighborhood led by Nia Hodge-Grier.

1. In light of DRIVE, what is the vision for Another Level Training Academy in the Webster Neighborhood? 

The vision for ALTA is to make lasting relationships in the community, creating spaces for the community to heal by taking ACE’s courses to relate to those who have been marginalized and not heard. ALTA desires to meet the community’s needs by showing members of the community how to leverage the gifts that they possess while allowing them to use their voice and stated needs. ALTA’s goal is to move the community from needing services to creating a vibrant ecosystem within the community they live. We hope that this will become a trend in the community for generations to come.  

2. How is being a DRIVE HUB in the Webster neighborhood providing an opportunity to engage in your community in a more profound way? 

Being a DRIVE HUB in Webster has challenged ALTA to take a more creative approach to reach residents. ALTA is learning new ways to leverage relationships and connect with organizations amid people hesitant because of COVID. ALTA is connecting with youth in the community through educational institutions to draw the seasoned members of the community to the table. ALTA  is learning to lean into this work and allowing the community to lead with what they desire for the community they live.

3. How has ENP been of support to you and Another Level Training Academy? 

ENP has been an enormous support to me by leading with transparency and letting me know that we are all learning as we go. In addition, ENP has been good about referring the information on additional training to help ALTA grow in the capacity it needs to serve the community further. I am very comfortable moving into the DRIVE initiative having the support from ENP to help us thrive internally and externally. I am confident that ALTA will continue to thrive with the support of ENP.

4. Up to this point, what is one thing you would like to highlight & share with others? 

The Highlight of the  DRIVE initiative is the effort being put forth to ensure that this initiative is diverse, inclusive, and practical. 

Hub Leader, Nia Hodge-Grier.
Alexis KaluginHub Highlight: Another Level Training Academy
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Sustaining Physical Activity in the Community During COVID-19

*This report is taken from the PEARS Success Story ID 23330

In partnership with the Fresno County Department of Public Health (FCDPH) and Every Neighborhood Partnership (ENP), the Central Valley Health Policy Institute (CVHPI) has conducted a series of interviews with Latin Dance instructors before the COVID-19 pandemic and shortly after the shelter-in-place mandate was lifted. The initial interviews conducted in 2019 were aimed at understanding how the program has expanded, identifying challenges, and linking the program to resources. There were nine (n=9) Latin Dance instructors who were interviewed and provided input on these topics. Shortly thereafter, the pandemic struck and the opportunity to report findings back to the community was put to a halt. In the month of June 2021, follow-up interviews were conducted with the Latin Dance instructors to assess the current state of the project and how best to move forward. A total of five interviews were conducted with the Latin Dance instructors. On June 30th, 2021, the CVHPI met with  the FCDPH, ENP, and the Latin Dance instructors who were interviewed to report back findings and ensure that all ideas were captured. The following is a summary of both findings from all interviews as well as topics that came forward during fruitful discussions with the Latin Dance instructors. 

Gabrielle PicenoSustaining Physical Activity in the Community During COVID-19
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Home Remedies and Community Health

ENP Promotoras, or Community Health Workers, have been hosting a weekly Women’s Support Group. In putting together the topics for the groups, they ask the attendees what they would like to hear about. One of the topics the women have asked for is “home remedies.” Johanna, one of the Promotoras, shared resources of traditional home remedies with which she was familiar.

Gabrielle PicenoHome Remedies and Community Health
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Alfabetización Digital

Mondays and Wednesdays from February 8 – March 4 ENP staff members Suzzy Pinal and Angie Conde led ENP’s first Spanish digital literacy class. COVID-19 has highlighted the need for basic training in computers and technology, especially among our Spanish-speaking neighbors. For 4 weeks, 12-30 students met over zoom to learn basic computer skills. The excitement as new skills were learned was palpable and the instructors enjoyed watching the students’ eyes light up as they understood new things.

All of the participants said they would recommend the course to a friend and many are eager to re-take the course to become more comfortable with their device. Some participants even bought a computer after going through the session, feeling more comfortable in their ability to navigate it. Below is some of the feedback from the post-course survey.

Gabrielle PicenoAlfabetización Digital
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Neighborhood Fitness Newsletter

Message from Neighborhood Fitness Team

Mensaje del equipo de neighborhood Fitness

Welcome!

¡Bienvenidos! 

Thank you for your interest in Neighborhood Fitness activities! There is a lot going on that I wanted to share with you. My hope is that together we can invest in your health and wellness – physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual. It’s a journey and I’m thankful to be journeying alongside you!

Gracias por interesarse en nuestras actividades. Hay muchas cosas que me gustaría compartirles. Espero que juntos podamos invertir en nuestra salud y bienestar: físico, mental, emocional, social y espiritual. Es todo un viaje…me siento muy agradecida de poder acompañarte en esta jornada.
Blessings // Bendiciones

Jennifer

Jennifer SaldivarNeighborhood Fitness Newsletter
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Partners and Pampers

It is said that if you want to go fast, go alone. And that if you want to go far, go together. The Central California Food Bank reached out to ENP and other partners to distribute a big shipment of diapers. ENP received 6 pallets, which was 412 cases, for a total of 16,480 diapers! That is a lot of diapers! How would we go about distributing 16,480 pampers? 

Daniel DominguezPartners and Pampers
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Promotoras encourage healthier habits

Original post by Community Medical Centers.

At the end of Latin dance fitness classes, instructor Susana “Suzzy” Pinal says her students would gather to talk – often about their health or their family’s medical issues. She was always getting questions about new medications a doctor prescribed or a natural remedy viewed on the internet.

Jennifer SaldivarPromotoras encourage healthier habits
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