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It’s been 40 years since Dr. Ghia Xiong lived and farmed in Laos, but he says this seven acre community garden in Sanger always reminds him of his childhood.

“Going to the farm with my parents and seeing how beautiful it is and then being able to come to this garden just takes me back home like that,” he says.

Xiong says being here out in the open provides a sense of peace. 

“The plants, the corn, the lemongrass here tells you where the wind flows,” he says.

Medical care at California State Prison, Corcoran received a poor rating in a recently published state watchdog review. Now, prison advocates worry that doesn’t bode well for the quality of care during the pandemic.

For a decade, the Central California Asthma Collaborative (CCAC) has aimed to reduce the burden of asthma in the San Joaquin Valley, which sits in one of the country’s most polluted air basins and reports some of the highest rates of asthma and asthma-related medical encounters in the state.

The Fresno Center unveiled a new mobile health unit Monday, the first of its kind in Fresno County designed to provide remote mental health services. 

Pao Yang, president and CEO of the Fresno Center, said it’s been a huge challenge to reach the people who are most in need of mental health services, especially during the pandemic. 

That’s why the center teamed up with Anthem Blue Cross to provide a mobile clinic. Anthem donated money for the van. The Fresno Center will use it to reach underserved and rural communities. 

At Sew N So Alterations in north Fresno, the steady thrum of mechanized needles is a good sign. It means business is finally starting to pick back up again. 

Owner Patrick Tran points out several machines that are used to make alterations. 

“Those three are overlap machines where after you cut it, you overlap so it doesn’t fray,” he says gesturing to a row of machines on the back counter.

It’s estimated that from 2019 to 2020, Fresno’s homeless population increased by almost 70%. City Manager Tommy Esqueda is certain that number has continued to grow this year.

“We don't have enough housing capacity available to get folks out of the shelters we’ve invested in, and so we have more people on the street,” he said. 

During Wednesday’s city council meeting, Esqueda presented a $25 million housing development plan for the next fiscal year.

Community members gathered outside Fresno City Hall Tuesday night, just hours after the verdict was read in the Derek Chauvin trial. Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts: second degree murder, third degree murder and second degree manslaughter.  

A painted portrait of George Floyd was placed at the center of the gathering, organized by the Fresno State NAACP chapter. 

Pieces of paper attached to the portrait fluttered in the wind. They listed the names of those killed in the U.S. by police violence.  

An encampment at Broadway and San Benito in downtown Fresno is dotted with rows of tents. Many are the newly built and more sturdy tent sheds.

Camp manager Dez Martinez unzips a tent belonging to one of the newest residents, Norma Chapa, who has been here for three weeks.

“I have some books for coloring using colored pens, and I have my stuffed animals and this is how I made my room,” Norma, 52, says, showing off what’s inside.

Mee Vue stands in the middle of tidy dirt rows, looking down as she points out the watering line running the length of her garden. The drip system feeds her newly planted corn crop and cabbages, all flowering in various stages.   

She’s busy moving her garden hoe, getting rid of weeds that have sprouted since her last visit to the community garden at Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries, or FIRM.

Vue lives right across the street and often spends time in the garden. A translator speaks for her. 

The cab of Sunny Grewal’s 18-wheeler is neat and tidy. He’s got bunk beds with red checkered sheets and gray interior cabinets that hide a fridge, microwave, paper plates and spices for long days on the road. One plastic container holds bite-sized sweets from his native India. “We call it gur, G-U-R,” Grewal says. “You can put it in tea, or you can have a small piece after food.”

Timothy Jackson is hammering together pallets at the site of his new home, an encampment near a Highway 99 overpass in downtown Fresno.

“Just like a few pallets and you can make anything into a deck,” he says, bending over a wooden structure.

The former tile and granite worker is building a railing to help with mobility for the camp’s elderly members.

“It’s not going to go very far, but they can at least get to the bathroom when they need to,” he says. 

The city of Fresno is accepting applications for its new Emergency Rental Assistance Program. 

The program offers nearly $35 million in federal funds and state block grants to help renters and landlords. After administrative costs, more than $31 million of that funding will be directly available for rental assistance. On Monday, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said the need is huge. 

“I would imagine today we are going to be absolutely inundated online with requests, as well as phone calls,” said Dyer.

Katherine Miranda stands outside Fresno’s Crossroads Village housing complex overlooking Blackstone Avenue. She just moved here about a month ago. Before that, she was on the streets for nine years. Her first night in her new room was so quiet, she says.

“The first night I couldn't sleep because we were so used to the train,” she laughs. “But I mean, it’s wonderful,” she says.