Español
[email protected]

Faith in the Valley

This author has written 152 articles
People, residents, community leaders and local elected officials from the San Joaquin Valley, gathered during the ‘Equity on the Mall’ rally in Sacramento

Faith in the Valley Executive Director Among Valley Leaders Making Themselves Heard at Equity on the Mall Day of Action

According to Sierra Health Foundation, one in three children in the Valley lives in poverty, and in some counties nearly half of all children live in neighborhoods with high poverty rates. “Our policymakers cannot solve the problem of inequity in the state between race, income and health, or help the state truly be the Golden State, unless we examine and confront the complex issues that continue to plague the San Joaquin Valley,” said Pastor Trena Turner, Executive Director, Faith in the Valley.

Read more
The Latino Community Foundation is partnering with Univision to host The 2018 Gubernatorial Forum

Join Us as We Watch the 2018 Gubernatorial Forum

No group has more at stake in the upcoming Gubernatorial race than California’s 15 million Latinos. This is why the Latino Community Foundation (LCF), one of Faith in the Valley's funders, is partnering with Univision to host The 2018 Gubernatorial Forum with a laser focus on the issues that matter most to Latinos in California. Jorge Ramos and Ilia Calderón, the award-winning Univision anchors, will moderate the forum.

Read more
Faith leaders listen as Fresno Mayor Lee Brand presents his Rental Housing Improvement Act proposal.

City of Fresno Launching First Phase of Substandard Housing

A year after it was announced the effort to get a handle on Fresno's rental housing is getting off the ground. The city council approved the Rental Housing Improvement Act last year and Fresno Mayor Lee Brand announced the first step of identifying and registering rental properties is underway. "We are now ready to start the registry process with an ultimate goal to protect our residents, honor our good landlords and put the bad ones on notice," Fresno Mayor Lee Brand.

Read more
Stockton Council votes to partner with Advance Peace

Council Votes to Partner with Advance Peace

The Stockton City Council voted in favor of partnering with Advance Peace, a gun-violence reduction program that has both drawn harsh criticism and optimism from the community. On Tuesday, the council voted 6-1 to include “in its public safety planning a commitment, support and partnership with Advance Peace,” an initiative first implemented in Richmond. Stockton will now test the program for four years to see if it does indeed bring peace to the city.

Read more
The Fresno Bee: A rental registry is Fresno’s newest weapon in the battle to wipe out housing blight

A Rental Registry is Fresno’s Newest Weapon in the Battle to Wipe Out Housing Blight

Faith in the Valley, a grassroots organization that represents around 120 congregations in the central San Joaquin Valley, is encouraged by the launch of the registry. But “this first step took almost a year since the program was passed and our families had to endure yet another winter in substandard housing,” said organizer Lety Valencia. “We pray the city of Fresno will not continue to delay and (will) start the proactive inspections as urgently and efficiently as possible.

Read more
Mayor Michael Tubbs gathers Advance Peace supporters ahead of Stockton council meeting

Mayor Gathers Advance Peace Supporters Ahead of Stockton Council Meeting

Gun violence in Stockton continues to be a hot-button issue. It’s guaranteed to take center stage tonight when the City Council will be asked to consider a resolution supporting a four-year partnership with Advance Peace, a crime-reduction program that has shown some promise in Richmond, the East Bay city where it was first introduced. The program has riled some residents who believe mistakenly that Advance Peace is publicly funded and pays criminals not to commit crimes.

Read more
Faith in the Valley and other Stockton organizations all publicly support Advance Peace at a press conference

Stockton Mayor Continues Push for Controversial ‘Advance Peace’ Program

Elbert Holman, Vice Mayor of the City of Stockton, Bishop Rufus K. Turner with Victory in Praise and Faith in the Valley, Fathers and Families of San Joaquin, Cleveland Schools Remembers, and NAACP all publicly support Advance Peace. Julie Schardt, an organizer with Cleveland School Remembers says their group had been interested in Advance Peace long before it was announced that Mayor Michael Tubbs was interested in bringing it to Stockton.

Read more
Faith In the Valley leaders holding hands during an action. (Photo by Bryan Patrick)

Thank You for Your Bold Leadership in 2017

It’s hard to believe that just one year ago, 1,500 of us stood together and publicly launched Faith In The Valley at the Founding Convention. We are so proud of all that we have accomplished together since then. One of the many big wins across the Valley this past year is the new breakthrough rental housing inspection program to enforce healthy standards for rental properties.

Read more
Organizations like Faith in the Valley are seeking ways legal residents and citizens like this farmworker can respond if massive roundups and deportations begin. (Photo by Rich Pedroncelli, AP)

Rapid Response Training Programs are Aiming to Document ICE Activities

“We cannot stop ICE from doing what they do,” said Curtis Smith, a local pastor and community organizer, as he warned the volunteers not to interfere with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “But we can offer support so that people know they can count on their community to show up in their time of need.” The “rapid response” training program was one of a half-dozen being carried out this fall by Faith in the Valley.

Read more
Back To Top