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Faith in the Valley

This author has written 167 articles
A man calls for a “clean” Dream Act outside of the Fresno Federal Courhouse in December. (Photo by JUAN ESPARZA LOERA/Fresno Bee)

ICE Activity Dims Celebrations of Supreme Court Ruling in Favor of DACA

The Supreme Court refused on Monday to fast-track the Trump administration’s directive for DACA to end next week, buying time for nearly 700,000 people like Hernandez who have received work permits and been temporarily protected from deportation through the program. About 18,000 people in Fresno, Tulare and Madera counties qualify for DACA. “You hear they’re working on a solution, but at the same time you see all the attacks and ICE raids here in the Valley, so you don’t know what to expect.”

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In San Francisco, janitors and other workers support A.B. 450, a bill to protect workers during immigration raids and enforcement actions. (Photo by David Bacon)

How Unions Help Immigrants Resist Deportations

On February 6, community activists from Faith in the Valley held a rally outside the Bee Sweet packing shed. Stan Santos, a member of Communications Workers of America Local 9408, represented the local labor council in supporting the workers, who have no union. “People are very scared,” he charges. “Since ICE has all the records, they know where people live. Some workers are afraid they'll be visited at home.”

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Faith in Kern leaders hold a nightly DACA rally outside local McCarthy, Valadao offices for Lent

Faith in Kern Leaders Lead Nightly DACA Rallies Outside Local McCarthy, Valadao Offices for Lent

The 40 days of lent have begun and here in Bakersfield, that means 40 days of protests. The people behind the demonstrations said they're giving up a little bit of their time for lent in hopes of getting permanent protections for children brought to the country illegally. Faith in the Valley Kern is a network of churches and congragations and you'll see them fighting for DACA recipients outside local congressional offices until Easter Sunday.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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