Your May 21, 2020 Newsletter from the Fresno County Democratic Party

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Newsletter: May 21, 2020
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** In This Newsletter:
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Statement from the Fresno County Democratic Party (#Party-Statement)

Coordinated Campaign 2020: Engage Now! (#Coordinated-Campaign)

Democratic Party HQ (#HQ)

Free Remote DACA Renewal Services (#ELF)

Undocumented Workers in Peril (#UN-Doc)

County Helps Underserved Businesses (#HUB)

Covid-19 Tips and Information (#Covid-19)


The Fresno County Democratic Party is deeply disappointed and disturbed by the actions taken against Fresno City Council President Miguel Arias. While at home with his family, he was accosted, harassed and put in danger by a group of radical right-wing individuals known to break the law and defy shelter-in-place orders.
This is unacceptable behavior and not within the parameters of what our elected officials are called to do in public service. We strongly condemn their actions and condemn the encouragement of such behavior.
Our local government entities must do everything within their purview to protect residents of Fresno County from this catastrophic pandemic. We applaud the efforts to support small business assistance loans, rental moratoriums to protect tenants and shelter-in-place orders to protect community residents.
We are supportive of political discourse and disagreements, but not of criminal acts and harassment upon any elected official. The Fresno County Democratic Party will continue to prioritize the health and safety of all Fresno County residents.

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We hope you are staying safe and healthy! CADEM’s Fresno team has some exciting remote events coming up and we want you to get involved!

Wellness Wednesday Phone Calls

Every Wednesday, our team in Fresno is calling and checking in with our neighbors. Our goal is to connect people to the resources and services they might need during this ongoing pandemic. You can make these important calls while you shelter in place and help flatten the curve!

Sign up for a shift at [link removed] ([link removed] )

Census Calls

Help persuade residents in Fresno to participate in the 2020 Census! The Census helps determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow into communities every year for the next decade. We need to make sure we count everyone in Fresno so we can get vital resources for programs like Medicare, SNAP and workforce training.

Sign up for a shift at [link removed]


Host a Virtual House Party

Virtual house parties are “about expanding the activism base within the Democratic Party with a host bringing in her/his network to share the power of our individual stories. We need to harness the power of 9 million Democrats across the state to improve the lives of 40 million Californians. Through the virtual house party, we can discuss the strategy that we plan to implement to make that happen. Our goal is to engage 24,000 activists across the state before Labor Day.”

—California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks

To host a virtual house party or learn more, call 559-313-4345 or e-mail [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=RE%3A%205-20-FCDCC-NL) .

Though it is a difficult time for many of us, the Fresno County Democratic Party must pay its monthly expenses to ensure that after this crisis, the Democratic Party HQ will reopen. We have taken several steps to reduce expenses but would appreciate donations to cover ongoing expenses. Donate via ActBlue ([link removed]) or by mailing a check to Fresno County Democratic Party, P.O. Box 5795, Fresno, CA 93755.

Special thanks to the many Democrats who contributed time, labor and money to make the new office a welcoming place to be proud of including Tony Canales and the Carpenters, Jeff Roberts and the Painters and Drywall Finishers, Brian Bobbitt, Natasha Moiseyev, Bob and Joyce Jones, and Jeff Rosendale.

Although the Democratic Party HQ is now closed, you can still volunteer to help efforts to engage voters in the Central Valley in our virtual environment. Call 559-495-0606, visit [link removed] or scan the QR code to sign up.

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ELF is pleased to announce that it is providing Remote DACA Renewal Services at no cost to our Central Valley community.

The Education and Leadership Foundation’s Immigration Integration Help Center (IIHC) representatives and its volunteers are committed to informing, protecting and providing the best services to individuals who are eligible to renew their DACA especially during this time of uncertainty and confusion.

For assistance with your DACA renewal application, click on this link ([link removed]) and fill out the online form; a staff member from ELF will contact you. You may also call 559-291-5428 for more information.

Note: ELF will prioritize urgent cases. Funding for the USCIS $495 filing fee might be available for families with financial hardship. ELF will not prioritize complex cases that require further legal assessment.

A $125 million segment of California’s expanded coronavirus aid package is helping undocumented workers survive this long economic shudown, but it will be depleted quickly. Many segments of California’s economy, particularly the agricultural industry that dominates our Central Valley, are utterly dependent on undocumented labor. As consumers are already starting to face higher prices for many foodstuffs, this situation is perilous not only for those undocumented persons but also for everyone in our area.

The Fresno County Republican Party opposed Gavin Newsom’s coronavirus aid package, targeting this assistance for undoccumented workers. Giving in to those demands would have left 10% of California’s labor force in devastating freefall. Instead, Newsom’s most recent expansion to California’s aid efforts is focused on key people our state economy that are overlooked by other measures, not just undocumented workers but also includes a separate fund to aid gig-economy workers.

The road back from this virus will be long, but if we do not want to make it even longer we must look out for all the workers who help our state move along. This car is not going anywhere if we let one of the wheels drop off. We must protect everyone who lives in California, not just because it is right but because it is the only way to protect ourselves.

On May 12, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors voted to authorize funding from the Federal CARES Act for a small business grant program in the amount of $5 million.

Fresno County, in partnership with the Fresno Economic Development Corporation and Access Plus Capital, is launching the Helping Underserved Business (HUB) grant program to provide grant awards to local small businesses that have been affected by Covid-19 and related to shelter-In-place orders.

Under the program, businesses could apply for up to $5,000 to support their business to pay employee salaries, rent, utilities or purchase essential supplies.

The online application process opened on May 18, 2020 at fresnohubgrant.com. Businesses are directed to call 2-1-1 for application assistance.

Sources including the California Department of Public Health recommend the following measures to minimize the spread of Covid-19:
* Wash hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds
* Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
* Avoid close contact with people who are sick
* Stay away from work, school or other people if you become sick with respiratory symptoms like fever and cough
* Cover a cough or sneeze with your sleeve, or disposable tissue; wash your hands afterward
* Practice social distancing
* Follow the guidance from public health officials

Information and Resources
* State government’s special public health page: [link removed]
* County of Fresno: www.co.fresno.ca.us/departments/public-health/covid-19
* Rep. Jim Costa’s Office: [link removed]
* Rep. TJ Cox’s Office: [link removed]
* [link removed] ([link removed])
* Hotline for seniors: 833-544-2374

Beware of Scammers

Government agencies will not call and ask for your Social Security Number, your bank account or for any payment over the phone.

Our newsletter is prepared by Francis Horan.
Can You Help the Democratic Party in Fresno County Today?
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