2025
Year In Review
Loving Our Neighbors, Protecting Human Dignity, and Keeping Families Together Across the Central Valley
Standing Together. Moving Forward.
This year, we refused to let fear have the final word.
Even in the face of budget cuts, growing threats to our communities, and unspeakable tragedy—like the heartbreaking mass shooting in Stockton—we stepped up for one another, we stood together at vigils, we held families through grief, and we turned our pain into resolve.
Across the Valley, our volunteers showed what love in action looks like.
From confronting ICE at the state’s largest immigration facility, to demanding safer housing across the region, to supporting mobile clinic campaigns, to rallying at the Capitol for opportunity instead of punishment, the Valley showed up with courage and conviction.
Of the more than 500 Valley Watch Network accompaniments this year, an overwhelming 90% of the neighbors we walked alongside at ICE check-ins and court hearings were able to return home—not detained, not alone. Nearly 700 trained volunteers across eight counties made that possible.
Because in the Central Valley, we believe every family deserves to stay together, we believe safety is something we create together, and we believe hope is a force that grows stronger when we share it. Scroll down to learn more about the seeds of hope planted this year.
"Faith-based community organizing is not optional in moments like these—it is essential. It is a safeguard for our freedom and a vessel for collective courage."
Executive Director
Faith in the Valley
Standing Together. Moving Forward.
This year, we refused to let fear have the final word.
Even in the face of budget cuts, growing threats to our communities, and unspeakable tragedy—like the heartbreaking mass shooting in Stockton—we stepped up for one another, we stood together at vigils, we held families through grief, and we turned our pain into resolve.
Across the Valley, our volunteers showed what love in action looks like.
From confronting ICE at the state’s largest immigration facility, to demanding safer housing across the region, to supporting mobile clinic campaigns, to rallying at the Capitol for opportunity instead of punishment, the Valley showed up with courage and conviction.
Of the more than 500 Valley Watch Network accompaniments this year, an overwhelming 90% of the neighbors we walked alongside at ICE check-ins and court hearings were able to return home—not detained, not alone. Nearly 700 trained volunteers across eight counties made that possible.
Because in the Central Valley, we believe every family deserves to stay together, we believe safety is something we create together, and we believe hope is a force that grows stronger when we share it. Scroll down to learn more about the seeds of hope planted this year.
"Faith-based community organizing is not optional in moments like these—it is essential. It is a safeguard for our freedom and a vessel for collective courage."
Executive Director
Faith in the Valley
Moments That Moved Us
Sowing Seeds of Hope in McFarland
Kern County
In early December in McFarland, families, community members, and allies gathered for a Seeds of Hope action. In a time when our communities are facing health care cuts, food insecurity, immigration fears, and the ongoing struggle for safe housing, our community chose to come together with hope and faith. Watch this video to see faith, love, and justice in action.
Interfaith Prayer Vigils at
ICE Processing Centers
San Joaquin & Fresno Counties
Check out this video highlighting our Interfaith Prayer Vigils at the ICE Processing Centers in Stockton and Fresno. Across the Central Valley we affirmed a simple truth held by our many faith traditions: each person detained is beloved. Together, we must continue to protect the vulnerable, uplift the sacredness of family, and love our neighbors.
House Meetings: Where Change Begins
Regionwide
Faith in the Valley joined PICO California federations across the state to bring people together in house meetings. These gatherings are carrying the momentum forward to build a Central Valley where everyone is heard, included, and able to thrive. Watch this video for a glimpse into a house meeting. This is what community looks like and where change begins.
"One thing is clear, my beloved community: if we are going to find solutions to our problems, the solutions must come from those of us who are directly impacted—whether by immigration issues, housing issues, labor issues, and so on."
Community Organizer
Faith in the Valley
Keeping Unhoused
Families Together
Stanislaus County
Two years ago, Faith in the Valley began working with Family Promise and Modesto Church of the Brethren as they opened their doors to families who need housing. This year, we welcomed Assemblymember Juan Alanis for a tour of Family Promise—the only shelter in Stanislaus County that keeps unhoused families together. We discussed the urgent need for affordable housing and began to build support for bigger, bolder statewide resources for housing. Watch this video to hear the conversation.
Safer Communities Through Opportunities Rally
Sacramento
Faith in the Valley stood in unity with PICO California, our sister federations, organizers, and faith leaders at the Capitol to push for a future where safety is built through opportunity, not punishment. Hear clergy leader Pastor William DeArmond share a powerful vision for justice: “Justice isn’t just locking people out, it’s helping people find their way back in.”
"Most of our faiths teach us that every person, regardless of their documentation status, their income, or their housing situation, is a child of God, imbued with sacred dignity. Our faith compels us to stand in solidarity with the vulnerable, to be a sanctuary in the storm."
Community Organizer
Faith in the Valley
Moments That Moved Us
Sowing Seeds of Hope in McFarland
Kern County
In early December in McFarland, families, community members, and allies gathered for a Seeds of Hope action. In a time when our communities are facing health care cuts, food insecurity, immigration fears, and the ongoing struggle for safe housing, our community chose to come together with hope and faith. Watch this video to see faith, love, and justice in action.
Interfaith Prayer Vigils at ICE Processing Centers
San Joaquin & Fresno Counties
Check out this video highlighting our Interfaith Prayer Vigils at the ICE Processing Centers in Stockton and Fresno. Across the Central Valley we affirmed a simple truth held by our many faith traditions: each person detained is beloved. Together, we must continue to protect the vulnerable, uplift the sacredness of family, and love our neighbors.
House Meetings: Where Change Begins
Regionwide
Faith in the Valley joined PICO California federations across the state to bring people together in house meetings. These gatherings are carrying the momentum forward to build a Central Valley where everyone is heard, included, and able to thrive. Watch this video for a glimpse into a house meeting. This is what community looks like and where change begins.
"One thing is clear, my beloved community: if we are going to find solutions to our problems, the solutions must come from those of us who are directly impacted—whether by immigration issues, housing issues, labor issues, and so on."
Community Organizer
Faith in the Valley
Keeping Unhoused Families Together
Stanislaus County
Two years ago, Faith in the Valley began working with Family Promise and Modesto Church of the Brethren as they opened their doors to families who need housing. This year, we welcomed Assemblymember Juan Alanis for a tour of Family Promise—the only shelter in Stanislaus County that keeps unhoused families together. We discussed the urgent need for affordable housing and began to build support for bigger, bolder statewide resources for housing. Watch this video to hear the conversation.
Safer Communities Through Opportunities Rally
Sacramento
Faith in the Valley stood in unity with PICO California, our sister federations, organizers, and faith leaders at the Capitol to push for a future where safety is built through opportunity, not punishment. Hear clergy leader Pastor William DeArmond share a powerful vision for justice: “Justice isn’t just locking people out, it’s helping people find their way back in.”
"Most of our faiths teach us that every person, regardless of their documentation status, their income, or their housing situation, is a child of God, imbued with sacred dignity. Our faith compels us to stand in solidarity with the vulnerable, to be a sanctuary in the storm."
Community Organizer
Faith in the Valley
This Is What Faith in Action Looks Like
From city hall to the streets, from vigils to murals, our leaders showed up this year with courage you can see and hope you can feel. Every photo in this gallery tells a story—of standing up for our neighbors, demanding affordable housing, fighting for clean air, honoring people’s lives impacted by injustice, and pushing for equity across the Valley. These aren’t just snapshots of moments. They’re proof that when we organize, believe in each other, and lift our voices together, real change becomes possible.
This Is What Faith in Action Looks Like
From city hall to the streets, from vigils to murals, our leaders showed up this year with courage you can see and hope you can feel. Every photo in this gallery tells a story—of standing up for our neighbors, demanding affordable housing, fighting for clean air, honoring people’s lives impacted by injustice, and pushing for equity across the Valley. These aren’t just snapshots of moments. They’re proof that when we organize, believe in each other, and lift our voices together, real change becomes possible.
Faith in the Valley
By the Numbers
42
Faith in the Valley has 42 active and emerging leadership teams.
20
Faith in the Valley leaders organized 20 vigils, actions and protests.
7,500
Faith in the Valley leaders held 7,500 conversations with residents and voters.
186
We held 186 Know Your Rights forums, engaging over 3,500 residents.
8
We advocated for and fought against 8 policies and issues related to healthcare, housing, immigrant rights, transformative justice and clean air.
1.5 million
On social media, we had 1.5 million views on Instagram alone and 36,300 interactions with our content.
Our Impact at a Glance
Throughout the year, we engaged tenants in addressing health and safety issues in Merced, Kern and San Joaquin counties, won a commitment from a property owner to pursue $500,000 in state funding to improve housing conditions, knocked on over 500 doors to share Bakersfield’s Eviction Protection Program, and launched a campaign for rent stabilization to protect mobile home park residents in Arvin.
We shared information about Medi-Cal cuts with residents across the Valley. We partnered with Building Healthy Communities to support mobile clinic campaign and held community events with Dignity Health to help enroll residents in California’s Medi-Cal program regardless of immigration status. With our partners, we distributed essential food resources to over 1,500 families.
Across the eight-county region, we engaged thousands of residents in Know Your Rights forums, held 87 Valley Watch Network rapid response trainings, and condemned the opening of California City Detention Center in Kern County—the state’s largest detention center.
With our state and local partners, we rallied for state policy around second chances and safer communities through opportunities. We also created and convened the new Stockton Community Response & Prevention Council to organize for lasting investments in gun violence prevention.
With Healthy Fresno Air, we expanded training for young people and residents around air pollution, climate justice and air monitoring to inform advocacy. We also held 30 climate disaster preparedness house meetings in Kern County and began partnership with The Valley Sustainable and Equitable Economic Development coalition.
We supported outreach that is leading to the establishment of Tribal power and institutions, laying the groundwork for a “land back” campaign through a Central Valley Tribal Land Trust and Land Acknowledgment offering.
Our Impact at a Glance
Throughout the year, we engaged tenants in addressing health and safety issues in Merced, Kern and San Joaquin counties, won a commitment from a property owner to pursue $500,000 in state funding to improve housing conditions, knocked on over 500 doors to share Bakersfield’s Eviction Protection Program, and launched a campaign for rent stabilization to protect mobile home park residents in Arvin.
We shared information about Medi-Cal cuts with residents across the Valley. We partnered with Building Healthy Communities to support mobile clinic campaign and held community events with Dignity Health to help enroll residents in California’s Medi-Cal program regardless of immigration status. With our partners, we distributed essential food resources to over 1,500 families.
Across the eight-county region, we engaged thousands of residents in Know Your Rights forums, held 87 Valley Watch Network rapid response trainings, and condemned the opening of California City Detention Center in Kern County—the state’s largest detention center.
With our state and local partners, we rallied for state policy around second chances and safer communities through opportunities. We also created and convened the new Stockton Community Response & Prevention Council to organize for lasting investments in gun violence prevention.
With Healthy Fresno Air, we expanded training for young people and residents around air pollution, climate justice and air monitoring to inform advocacy. We also held 30 climate disaster preparedness house meetings in Kern County and began partnership with The Valley Sustainable and Equitable Economic Development coalition.
We supported outreach that is leading to the establishment of Tribal power and institutions, laying the groundwork for a “land back” campaign through a Central Valley Tribal Land Trust and Land Acknowledgment offering.
Snapshot
Valley Watch Network
This year, the Valley Watch Network helped to ensure that community members facing uncertainty did not have to navigate these moments alone. More than 680 volunteers completed Valley Watch Network training, strengthening our rapid-response efforts across eight counties:
- Volunteers provided 505 accompaniments to ICE processing centers, ISAP check-ins, USCIS appointments, and court hearings, going with individuals and families from 8 Central Valley counties to these and other outings.
- The vast majority of the accompaniments were successful—of those accompanied, approximately 90% were not detained.
- Our volunteer-run hotline handled over 4,256 calls and supported 179 detention intakes.
- Volunteers offered a range of supports, from diapers and wipes for a mom who was left to care for her baby after her husband was detained while they were out shopping, to a warm meal, hotel room and bus ticket to help re-unite a man from another state with his family after he was released from the California City Detention Center.
Throughout the year, volunteers demonstrated the importance of being prepared. When a raid took place in Taft, volunteers responded immediately. With megaphones in hand, they shared Know Your Rights information and calmed fear. As a result, those who were detained were able to leave safely.
Reuniting Families
Recently, our Valley Watch Network team drove to the Bakersfield ICE processing center to meet a community member with a pending asylum case who had been unjustly targeted because of his race and ethnicity. He had been detained for nearly two weeks at the California City Detention Center, a place known for unsafe conditions, bitter cold, spoiled food, and sewage backups. After calling, pushing for a legal referral, and standing alongside our partners, our efforts helped him finally get released.
They didn’t just meet him at the gate, though. They drove him all the way home so he could be reunited with his family.
In a year marked by separation, fear, and deep loss, this moment reminded us of a simple moral truth we try to live by every day: We are meant to show up for one another, protect human dignity, and make sure no one has to walk through injustice alone—because families belong together.
Snapshot
Valley Watch Network
This year, the Valley Watch Network helped to ensure that community members facing uncertainty did not have to navigate these moments alone. More than 680 volunteers completed Valley Watch Network training, strengthening our rapid-response efforts across eight counties:
- Volunteers provided 505 accompaniments to ICE processing centers, ISAP check-ins, USCIS appointments, and court hearings, going with individuals and families from 8 Central Valley counties to these and other outings.
- The vast majority of the accompaniments were successful—of those accompanied, approximately 90% were not detained.
- Our volunteer-run hotline handled over 4,256 calls and supported 179 detention intakes.
- Volunteers offered a range of supports, from diapers and wipes for a mom who was left to care for her baby after her husband was detained while they were out shopping, to a warm meal, hotel room and bus ticket to help re-unite a man from another state with his family after he was released from the California City Detention Center.
Throughout the year, volunteers demonstrated the importance of being prepared. When a raid took place in Taft, volunteers responded immediately. With megaphones in hand, they shared Know Your Rights information and calmed fear. As a result, those who were detained were able to leave safely.
Reuniting Families
Recently, our Valley Watch Network team drove to the Bakersfield ICE processing center to meet a community member with a pending asylum case who had been unjustly targeted because of his race and ethnicity. He had been detained for nearly two weeks at the California City Detention Center, a place known for unsafe conditions, bitter cold, spoiled food, and sewage backups. After calling, pushing for a legal referral, and standing alongside our partners, our efforts helped him finally get released.
They didn’t just meet him at the gate, though. They drove him all the way home so he could be reunited with his family.
In a year marked by separation, fear, and deep loss, this moment reminded us of a simple moral truth we try to live by every day: We are meant to show up for one another, protect human dignity, and make sure no one has to walk through injustice alone—because families belong together.