FRESNO, Calif. – A new effort in the San Joaquin Valley is bringing together residents, educators, faith groups, and civic leaders to address the region’s most pressing issues.
More than 700 people filled an auditorium at Fresno State on May 3 for a “founding convention” of the newly created organization called United San Joaquin.
“This evening is one important step in a much longer process of building power and taking action together to better future our families across the Central Valley,” Matthew Jendian, director of the Humanics Program at Fresno State and one of the leaders of United San Joaquin, told the hundreds gathered. “We want to create a better future for our children and our children's children.”
Among the sea of organizations gathered were representatives from education, faith, government and law enforcement groups, including members of Methodist and Catholic churches, city mayors and the Fresno police chief and Fresno County sheriff.
United San Joaquin is being billed as a nonpartisan “people’s organization,” according to its founding members. This kind of initiative is seemingly unheard of in the region, but showcases how unique alliances may be needed to tackle political and social issues in communities around the United States.
Organizers of United San Joaquin said their primary issues to tackle will include public health, economic opportunity, housing, transportation and immigration reform. They say they have taken feedback from over 1,000 conversations with Valley residents.
At the Fresno State gathering, some speakers shared stories about housing insecurities and rising education costs. But the organization also seeks to bring together residents on some of the biggest issues plaguing the country as a whole – in local ways.
Erin Perez, of Fresno, described receiving a call about an active shooter at a nearby school. As the emergency contact for her 8-year-old niece at the school, she said the moment forced her to confront an unfortunate reality many families face.
“I waited, scared to find out if she was alive,” Perez said. “A sixth grader had taken a gun to school to get attention.”
She connected that experience to the broader concerns about mental health resources, noting recent cuts to counselors and nursing staff within Fresno Unified School District and limited access to support services at Fresno State, where she studies.
“Why would a kid have to do something like that to finally get the help that they need?” she asked.
Charles Weldon, a Fresno State student, spoke about the burden of unreliable transportation.
Weldon, who relies on his grandmother’s car, described how getting to school felt “like a full-time job” and that he’d recently spent thousands of dollars on repairs, only to be struck down by a traffic stop.
“At one point, I got pulled over by the CHP and was given a $300 ticket because I have an issue with my catalytic converters,” Weldon said. “I have no idea how I'm going to pay this…on my fixed income from my scholarships. Getting to school should not be this inaccessible.”
The room, at times, was silent as each presenter shared common struggles. At other moments, it erupted with applause and cheers.
Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni said he attended the event to hear from residents about what issues his department can address, too.
“We have been engaged because we understand that there are a lot of fatalities and a lot of injury accidents on the roads throughout Fresno County,” Zanoni said. “So anything that we can do to make Fresno County roads safer for individuals in our community, that's important to us, we're saving lives, and we're helping people.’
United San Joaquin is affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation. The national network that has supported community-based organizing efforts for over 80 years. In the Valley, it gathered 18 institutions to introduce similar organizing movements.
Leaders of United San Joaquin say the goal is to stay together at the table long enough to find some common ground on issues and bring their solutions and proposals to lawmakers.
