CREATE for the Westside

Vital Stats

Rachel B

Kerman, CA

  • people helped60
  • People Doing It80

The Problem

Being a rural community, there is limited access to assistance and programming such as arts, educational and other programming. Community members also often feel there is very little they can do to affect change in their community. It is also a community that has limited interactions between social groups (socio-economic, generational and ethnic). Kerman, a town of 14,064 as of January 2009, is often referred to as the Gateway to the Westside of the Central Valley. Kerman is an agricultural town near the city of Fresno. 64.9% of the population is of Hispanic decent, 24.2% is white, and 10.9% is of other races. Other races include a sizeable population of Punjab ancestry, as well as a growing Arab population. The median age of the residents of Kerman is 27.1 years. 20.2% of the population live below the poverty line. The unemployment rate is 15%.

Plan of Action

We are a new organization, as such many of our programs are not yet up and running. However, they will fall into the following categories: Arts & Entertainment - These programs will promote the arts and provide more opportunities for the community to participate in the arts in Kerman, as well as enjoy arts available nearby. Outdoor activities - These programs encourage all members of the community to become more physically active while promoting a greater understanding and appreciation of the natural world around us. Literacy programs - Internships - These programs focus on the youth in the community and providing youth the opportunity to gain work experience and participate in job readiness workshops, while also promoting the economic stability of the community. It is the goal of this organization to not just "provide" programs to the community, but rather to work with community members through a series of community action workshops to develop future programs and projects. Participants will not only be designing programs, but will also learn how to work together to put ideas and plans into action. It is our goal to empower community members to make positive change in the community.
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Education
Environment
Physical and Mental Health

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