In the heart of the Central Valley, where agriculture feeds much of the nation, hunger remains an urgent and often unseen issue. The Central California Food Bank (CCFB) has been working tirelessly to change that. Founded in 1992, CCFB is the region’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated solely to ending hunger.
The weather, according to my phone, would turn to thunderstorms in the afternoon. I promised to feed Lucy and Ethel (cats) for a friend, but I would be able to get it done before the rain started.
What do you do when the news of the world is getting you down? Go to a movie? Log into social media and vent your frustrations? Eat ice cream by the pint? Well, movies can be expensive (especially when you add popcorn), ranting online isn’t going to do much for your blood pressure, and consuming large quantities of sweets ... we’re not even going to go there. It’s time to put down your phone, close the refrigerator door, and get outside for some fresh air and sunshine.
With spring now here, and Earth Day just around the corner, this seemed like the perfect time to interview a group I have been interested in since discovering them a couple of months ago while doing research in the Tower District for my next mystery novel--the Fresno County Bicycle Coalition (FCBC).
Monday, March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility, a day we celebrate and raise awareness around transgender identities. However, even in the best of times, not all trans people feel comfortable being visible—and these are certainly not the best of times for the transgender community. While the last two months have been particularly horrendous—including the signing of executive orders seeking to deny our existence and limit our ability to participate in society—the underlying goals of these orders are unfortunately not a new phenomenon.
Over 100 crime fiction writers, ranging from award winners to international bestsellers, and other writers who joined our effort, are participating in an auction to benefit the Transgender Law Center.
This auction, which runs March 26 through April 1, offers fans and supporters the chance to support an urgent cause and bid on select items from their favorite writers, including signed books, author chats, manuscript evaluations, and much more.
My wife, Marilyn, and I live on the front lines of the “Border Wars” in Brownsville, TX. We are just across the Rio Grande River from Matamoros, Mexico. We are roughly twenty-five miles from where the Rio Grande empties into the Gulf of America, or Gulf of Mexico, or whatever it is called now; and, about twenty miles from where Elon Musk launches Starships. We can see the launches from our back yard. I am the pastor of a Hispanic American church. We are a snapshot of similar communities spread all across the nation.
Are you ready to jump in and do something special? The Polar Plunge is back, offering a thrilling and meaningful way to support Special Olympics Northern California. This year, brave souls will be "freezin’ for a reason" as they take an icy dip to benefit children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Here in the Central Valley, the Fresno Polar Plunge is happening on March 15 at Millerton Lake. Whether you’re a seasoned Plunger or a first-timer, this event is sure to be a splash.
If you’re into gardening (and you probably are if you’re reading this), you know how important it is to keep the soil fertile and to make your plants thrive. But what do you use as fertilizer? Do you just get store-bought chemical fertilizer or do you invest some free time into making your own?
As concerns about climate change intensify, understanding our personal and organizational carbon footprints has never been more crucial. A carbon footprint measures the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event, or product. By calculating this footprint, we can identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions to reduce our impact on the environment.
