August 2017 - Faith in the Valley

ACLU of CA Launches Statewide Campaign to Educate Californians on the Role of District Attorneys, the Power They Wield and Their Impact on Mass Incarceration

The American Civil Liberties Union of California (ACLU-CA) and local partner organizations today launched Hey, Meet Your DA!, a campaign designed to raise awareness about the powerful role district attorneys (DAs) play in the state’s 58 counties, and to increase accountability and transparency within the offices.

A Rally for Unity in the Fight Against Bigotry

Toni McNeil was standing in a circle surrounded by dozens of people gathered Friday to condemn white supremacy following the incidents in Charlottesville, Virginia, when a white man tapped her on her right shoulder. As she turned, the man called her over to him. The interaction lasted less than 60 seconds but it made her want to cry. “I want to tell you I’m sorry,” he told her with tears in his eyes and her hand in between his.

Stockton Clergy Discusses Controversial ‘Advance Peace’ Program

A meeting between Stockton clergy members and the founder of Advance Peace met Tuesday to discuss the controversial crime prevention program. The program seeks to help people, identified by law enforcement as being likely to engage in gun violence, stay out of trouble.

Selma Police Chief Eases Residents’ Deportation Fears at Community Meeting

August 22, 2017
Faith in the Valley
Fresno

Tension is building in many Valley communities over deportation fears. In Selma, families are calling on the police department to improve its immigration policy. St. Joseph's Catholic Church is a place of refuge where families gathered on Friday to voice and ease their concerns about deportation.

Faith in the Valley Receives Police Reform Grant from Borealis Philanthropy

Borealis Philanthropy recently launched the Communities Transforming Policing Fund to support promising police reform advocacy in local jurisdictions throughout the country, and we're proud to share that Faith in the Valley is one of the Funds' inaugural grant recipients. The CTPF is a collaborative effort of the Open Society Foundations, the Ford Foundation, and the Public Welfare Foundation.

Advocates Push Merced County to Help Undocumented Receive Healthcare

August 1, 2017
Faith in the Valley
Blog, Merced

This week, Building Healthy Communities Merced released a report outlining ways the county could potentially provide services for undocumented immigrants. The report explains that because undocumented immigrants aren’t eligible for health insurance under Covered California or most non-emergency coverage from Medi-Cal, advocates around the state have asked their counties to provide coverage to those undocumented.