Welcome to the CVCF BLOG
Over 2 Dozen Museums to Visit in the Central Valley!
By Laura Ramos, Community Engagement Associate What is one thing Merced, Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, Kings and Tulare county all have in common? They all have several museums welcoming the community to visit! In the spirit of International Museum Day (May 18), the...
Chinatown Fresno Foundation Sees a Better Future for Chinatown
By Elisabeth Parra, CVCF Intern For as long as I can remember I have been told not to go the Chinatown alone. As someone who grew up going to church in the downtown area, I have never been one to shy away from the homeless people or to be afraid of the “rough”...
Happy World Book Day
By Laura Ramos, Community Engagement Associate Celebrating World Book Day by Sharing CVCF Staff’s Favorite Books Arguably one of the greatest children’s book authors of all time, Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, say’s it best in his most popular book,...
Three Scholarships Now Accepting Applications for Central California Students
By Laura Ramos, Community Engagement Associate The Central Valley Community Foundation manages over 30 scholarships annually. These opportunities are funded by local individuals, families, businesses and organizations that have acted on a need to provide financial...
Live Again Brings Light to Parkway Drive Children
By Elisabeth Parra, CVCF Intern In 2012, Richard Burrell, founder and CEO of Live Again Fresno (LAF), and his wife Roxanne Burrell went to Parkway Drive and what they found touched their hearts and changed lives for years to come. When the Burrell’s first went to the...
The Big Tell 2018: Orlando J. Gomez
Orlando Gomez was born and raised in Fresno, a place he will always call home, despite leaving at various times to pursue career opportunities. He has run his own production company, Stellar Lense Productions, Inc. for over 13 years and appreciates the...
The Big Tell 2018: Carissa Garcia & Samuel Contreras
Carissa Garcia is an interdisciplinary artist who approaches her work as a storyteller and poet. She considers herself a “greñuda filmmaker”, working on untamed methods of documenting and reversing erasure as a decolonial means of creating and recuperating...
The Big Tell 2018: Jes Therkelsen
For most of us, rock bottom exists only in the deepest corners of our imagination; a nightmare scenario that fuels our fears and motivates our actions. We learn to spend our lives building safety nets to prevent such tragedies. But for those who have...
The Big Tell 2018: Laura Gromis
Laura Gromis has been passionate about the environment since she was young. Her grandfather was a coal miner in what is now Poland. He also instilled in her a love of hiking, nature, and a keen curiosity to question the world we live in. Although...
The Big Tell 2018: Hans Steele
Judo is a sport centered around the "Ippon," a perfectly executed throw of your opponent that scores an automatic win during a match. To achieve perfect form, techniques for hundreds of throws are practiced over and over again, in repetitive exercises...
The Big Tell 2018: Sarah Linder Gonzales
Sarah Linder Gonzales is an amateur filmmaker and mother of five. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sarah has a special place in her heart for service, particularly the work featured in her film, “Raisins Made with Love,” a...
The Big Tell 2018: Rippin Sindher
Rippin Sindher is a 29-year-old East Indian filmmaker from Selma, CA. From an early age, she wrote stories, directed short videos, and acted in community theatre while her parents worked in the fields to make ends meet. She struggled to fully pursue her...
The Big Tell 2018: Antony López
“The Oasis in the Sun” shares the history of Avenal, California, as told through the stories of 89-year-old Avenal resident Betty Weaver. Filmmaker Antony López has been interested in these stories since high school and it is his goal to capture narratives...
The Big Tell 2018: Karen Dusek
You may remember a film from last year’s The Big Tell called: Literacy Empowers. It’s the amazing story of the adult literacy program at Mariposa County Library and the incredible impact that the program has on its participants. Karen Dusek, Senior Library...
The Big Tell 2018: Shelley Ellis & Zachary Green
Through her participation in Leadership Visalia, Shelley Ellis learned about the devastating impact that human trafficking has on our community. Every day, hundreds of victims, even as young as 12, are forced into sex slavery right here in the Central...
CVCF and Valley PBS Launch “Stop. Lay. Walk Away. Get Help” Campaign
Each year, approximately 29,000 children in California experience child abuse before the age of five. Studies have shown that a baby's crying is the top trigger for instances of abuse. Inexperienced parents, particularly young males, who are not...
Featured Fund: Amelia’s Angels
Amelia Crystal Rodriguez was born on March 24, 2017. She came into the world as a miracle; Amelia was extremely premature, born at only 24 weeks and 5 days, and weighing only 1 lb 10 oz. She endured many medical procedures and many struggles,...
Grant for Adaptive Sports has Valley Youth Making Waves
As a 2017 Next Generation Philanthropy grantee, Valley Children's Healthcare Foundation used the $8,000 they were awarded to expand their Adaptive Sports Program. The Valley Children's Adaptive Sports Program provides free recreational and athletic experiences for...