Every Neighborhood Partnership was created 11 years ago to help connect, train, and mobilize our local churches and other community assets to actively serve, on a weekly basis, in our elementary schools and neighborhoods. At this stage of our work, we currently have 51 active partnerships in the 92 elementary school neighborhoods of Fresno.
Weekly you’ll see these volunteers in classrooms helping our kids learn how to read, engaging in recreational activities during recess, assisting in after-school programs, opening gates at schools on Saturday mornings so kids and adults can enjoy some fun, and working with residents as they serve and advocate for their own neighborhoods.
ENP believes that the core of a city’s health is the health of our youth, families, and neighborhoods. When it comes down to it, ENP is simply mobilizing our community so they can serve their very own neighborhoods.
As we’ve witnessed over the last few years, our national and statewide civic engagement and political norms seem to be deteriorating. Some would say it’s gotten out of control with negative messaging. Some say that’s our new normal. It now seems to be the way local politics is headed, less about how someone can be a local leader of positive influence and more about how horrible their opponent is.
ENP works to build resident leaders throughout the city so that our families and neighborhoods can have a voice in how their community can develop. We don’t tell families what to do, how they should think, or even who to vote for. We provide them guidance of what’s currently going on in all aspects of our community and the process they can consider should they want to serve or advocate for an issue.
One thing many of our partnerships and residents have learned is the fact that our community values the opportunity of “space in place”. Meaning, where they live, there are too few open spaces for recreation and community gatherings. Our partnerships have been pioneers in “joint-use” for 11 years, opening schools to be used as green space. Each Saturday you can drive around and see over 22 open sites with over 1,000 kids or adults enjoying community fun. Our partnerships are now closing off streets and providing “street play” as a way to engage in fun in their own neighborhood. ENP has even trained resident leaders to be Latin Dance Exercise Instructors so they can provide fitness classes in their own neighborhoods. Our partnerships are even hosting recreational activities in the small green spaces within apartment complexes.
All these creative ideas are needed because so much of our city lacks plentiful, maintained open spaces for them to congregate and enjoy life. Many of our residents have asked about Measure P and what it’s all about. Would it really put money into parks? Would the investment be in our older neighborhoods where they live? They’ve heard a lot about it. And recently they are hearing the ads that oppose Measure P.
As they ask my opinion. This is what I tell them.
I tell them that Fresno is sadly one of the largest cities in America that has the fewest parks, especially in our south neighborhoods. I mention that this is definitely a tax, so EVERYONE will feel it in their wallet. That this could be a great way to bring more funding to parks, trails, arts, and youth workforce development. I do tell them this is a 30-year tax investment, so it won’t go away anytime soon.
They’ve heard about a possible future public safety tax. In my opinion, that is needed too, our amazing police and fire departments could use the help. There was a conversation to blend the public safety and parks tax together but it, unfortunately, didn’t work out. They ask why. I tell them, sometimes as leaders, we fail them. I don’t blame anyone but reiterate that sometimes leadership just finds it hard to work together. Shame on us.
They’ve asked me if I’d vote for Measure P. I say yes.
They ask why. I respond because I have seen firsthand how green space can be a vehicle to build youth resilience, community, neighborhood health and even, from research that I’ve read, reduce violence and crime. This is one way an entire city can reverse a huge felt need in just one generation. I share the example of the Zoo and Library taxes and how those have gone well. I believe it’s all of Fresno’s responsibility to help make Fresno a more vibrant city.
If you would like to learn more about Measure P click here.
I also tell them that this is our democratic process. Should they support the measure or not, they should do something about it, go volunteer and knock on doors if they do support it, go and knock on doors. They should do the same if someone is running in their district for City Council or School Board. Know who is representing you and your neighborhood, what are they all about, what do they stand for. Do they align with the pulse of your neighborhood?
I pray for a highly engaged community in Fresno. One that cultivates the positives of our community, one that builds on the assets that our residents, businesses, and community possess. I pray we don’t get caught up in the ugliness of politics. No one wins with that stuff.
Fresno, let’s choose to do things a better way. In a season in our country where there’s so much strife, how about we be an example of how a community can live out healthy civic engagement and discourse. I actually think we can if we, who choose to be leaders, lead by example.
Artie Padilla
Executive Director, Every Neighborhood Partnership
Leave a Reply