Reflection on Walk #27 – Jan 10 starting at Cedar and Kings Canyon in the parking lot in front of the old UMC building. This walk started here because of the Fresno Bee story on the new youth mental health in-patient program finally coming to Fresno here in this building. I wanted walkers to experience the neighborhoods that will surround this much-needed resource!
Three walkers walked west through neighborhoods on Balch. While walking on Balch, a man rode by on a bicycle and said to us, “well this is a rare sight”. After the walk, we all laughed at his comment and wanted to know more about what he thought of us. Was it because were weren’t walking on Huntington? Was it because we didn’t look like most the people in this neighborhood? We wound our way onto Huntington Blvd. for a few blocks, and noticed the differences between Balch and Huntington. All of it old, classic Fresno, when things were much different.
We looked into the windows of Grace Methodist Church and walked through the halls of the church out to the back alley. We commented on how nice it was that this church had no fences. The walkers talked about how many people it would take to clean up that alley on a Saturday morning — maybe a clean up crew of 6 to 8. Plenty of dogs barked at us, and uncollared dogs followed us a few houses.
All walkers loved the surprise of walking the Fresno Salvation Army campus. We learned about the rehabilitation housing, the donation collection yard and warehouse, and the big thrift store. We all commented on how wonderful this program is and we all want to support it.
After walking south across Ventura, we walked on 9th street at the back of the old Juvenile Hall yard. A tall block wall with wound razor wire at the top stood along an entire block (see photo). Children played with pets across the street. Walkers talked about how it would feel to grow up looking at a prison yard fence every day. Walkers commented about the improved facilities for troubled youth out on American Avenue off 99. A great improvement over this facility which had been known as “The Hall Of Shame”.
One walker commented how this walk had helped her focus outward on others instead of herself. While she has many worries and sadness, for this hour and a half she was tuned in to the lives of others, and that had been very healthy and healing for her.
To me, that captures an important essence of FMW: to really see others, our sisters and brothers in Fresno, so that empathy and understanding grow in our hearts and minds, so that reconciliation is possible and healing can begin in our city. Here’s my FMW formula:
Truly see others —- empathy — reconciliation — healing.
