October has arrived and so begins the last full month of my stay in the Coachella Valley. It is hard to believe my time is already winding down and I am also astonished by how quickly I have come to consider this place my home. In the month of September I feel I hit my stride as an employee at the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition (CVHC) and I am starting to feel a true connection to this community that welcomed me with open arms. As I start to think about leaving the valley, I want to be sure the impact of my stay is significant, something more than just a footprint in the sand from a visitor passing through. I’ll be sure to write on this as I compose my final reflections but for now, I’ll update you on all of the goings on in September!
I have greatly enjoyed my new position in the multi-family department at CVHC and I have learned so much about the way this branch of the organization works. Recently I have been compiling closing documents for our two most recent rehabilitation projects. With every task I am given, I try to leverage it as an opportunity to learn a little bit more about what it takes to successfully develop low-income housing complexes. The process has been seemingly mastered by the employees of CVHC but I know that this comes from tremendous diligence and years of experience in the field. I cannot adequately stress how grateful I am for the guidance and
Setting the stage for our movie in the park
encouragement I am receiving from the men and women who have dedicated so much of their lives to the mission of the coalition, “To help low-income families improve their lives through advocacy, research, construction and operation of quality housing and community developments.”
The month of September also allowed me to step back into my role within the community services department as CVHC hosted a movie in the park in the heart of one of their most beautiful complexes. The night was put together as an offering of gratitude for the resident’s participation in our survey from the summer and we were also able to gather nearly 100 additional responses. The event allowed me to see this community at its very best and I’ll even venture to say that this night will certainly make the highlight reel when I look back on this whole experience in the years to come.
While I have not been able to be consistently active with the community organizing leaders from Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC), I did have the opportunity to attend another great event held right in our church here in Coachella. One of the ways that ICUC advocates for immigration reform here in the valley is by fighting against the policy known as Secure Communities. This program, at its core, is a partnership between the local sheriff’s department and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency. This
Our meeting with Sheriff Sniff
partnership creates a severe distrust between the people and their police force because for many families in this region, the fear of deportation is a part of their everyday lives. There are hundreds of stories of men, women, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends and neighbors who have been deported after incredibly minor encounters with law enforcement because Secure Communities places six ICE officers in the local sheriff’s department, ready to be called at a moment’s notice. Ending Secure Communities would reduce the liklihood that nearly immediate deportation would not be a consequence of something as minor as a traffic infraction for an undocumented resident. Riverside County Sheriff Stan Sniff attended the community meeting organized by ICUC at Our Lady of Soledad and he was willing to listen to testimonials and answer questions about the program. He has yet to make a decision whether or not he will be ending the contract with the ICE but ICUC has vowed to keep the conversation going.
All in all, this month has been my best month yet. What made it even better was a week-long visit from my two older sisters flying in all the way from New York. We toured the valley, hiked in Joshua Tree National Park, snorkeled and kayaked in San Diego and explored San Francisco all before dropping by our family in Stockton, CA.
My sisters and I at the Golden Gate Bridge
Ralph Waldo Emerson has long been a thinker to whom I turn for inspiration and as I enter the beginning to the end of my great adventure in the Coachella Valley, I do so with this quote in mind: “If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown! But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile.” When I came out to the valley on a week-long service immersion trip, I was in awe of this community and the people who called it home. Now that I have settled into a routine, I’m afraid some of that awe has been worn down by a sense of familiarity. My goal for the time I have left is twofold: First, to remember the injustices that inspired me to engage in this experience and leave a positive impact greater than a “footprint in the sand.” Second: I hope to treasure this opportunity and appreciate my surroundings, the people, the landscape and the community, with the same sense of awe and wonder as I experienced when I first arrived in the valley.
