Greater Fresno Chapter

The Fresno Area Chapter's newly elected board and Affiliate staff members who participated in the annual membership meeting.

Photo by Mike Rhodes

MEMBERSHIP MEETING:

On September 12 we held our annual membership meeting and dinner at the Golden Restaurant.  It was a great evening! After dinner we elected the new Fresno Area Chapter Board. The 2011 Board includes Donna Hardina, Chair; Regina Williams, Assistant Chair; John Kelly, Secretary; Kathy Mitchell, Treasurer; Carlos Casarez, Field Rep; Jay Casarez, Alternate Field Rep; Bill Simon, Volunteer Coordinator; and Members at Large: Roger Brown, Catherine Campbell, Dr Charlie Chang, Irene Frank, Henry Garcia, Jamal Gray, Rev Floyd Harris, Jean Hays, Steve Malm, Cesar Sanchez, and Chukou Thao. Thanks to everyone who agreed to serve on the board this year.

Shayna Gelender introduced Hector Cerda, the ACLU-NC's new organizer who will work in the Central Valley.  Welcome, Hector! There's plenty of work to do.

Julia Mass, ACLU-NC Staff Attorney, was our guest speaker and talked with us about immigration issues, especially as they face us in the valley.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AT SCHOOL

On Tuesday, October 11, from 5:30-7:00 pm, Californians for Justice and the Fresno Area Chapter of the ACLU-NC will cosponsor a presentation about "Know Your Rights at School" regarding student discipline, policing on campus, record expungement and much more. The presentation will take place at the Zimmerman Boys and Girls Club, 540 N Augusta near Belmont and Fresno Streets in Fresno.

The presentation is aimed at High School Students, their parents, and other interested members of the community. Julia Mendoza, Racial Justice Project Legal Fellow for the ACLU-NC will give the presentation.

Tell your children, grandchildren, neighbors, and everyone you know to come. It will be an enlightening evening. Refreshments and Child Care will be provided.

GET INVOLVED
If you would like to become more active in the work of the Fresno Area Chapter, contact Bill Simon, our volunteer coordinator: simonaclu@sbcglobal.net. We meet on the first Monday of each month, except September, from 7:00-8:45 pm. The venue has not yet been set for the November meeting.

MISSION STATEMENT OF THE GREATER FRESNO AREA CHAPTER OF THE ACLU-NC
The mission of the Greater Fresno Area Chapter of the ACLU-NC is to support the goals of the ACLU-NC: To defend, maintain, and extend the civil liberties guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States and by the Constitution of the state of California.
 

The Chapter will implement its mission by:
• Referring people with civil liberties legal questions to the ACLU-NC Civil Liberties Counselors at 415-621-2488;
• Reaching out to individuals and organizations in our four-county community who are involved in social justice issues, especially of a civil liberties nature, by cosponsoring appropriate events, tabling at community events, and participating in such events;
• Sponsoring and otherwise participating in educational events or activities such as forums,  presentations to school groups and to other community groups, and letter- writing campaigns, including letters to the editors of local newspapers:
• Lobbying public officials concerning civil rights issues;
Inviting the public to ACLU events;
• Seeking to increase membership of the ACLU;
• Raising funds for the support of the local chapter and of the affiliate.
The Greater Fresno Area Chapter of ACLU-NC can be reached by mail at
4974 N Fresno St., #185, Fresno, CA 93726-0317, or by emailing simonaclu@sbcglobal.net

Other Resources:

Central California Legal Services:
(559) 570-1200, or 1999 Tuolumne St., Ste. 700, Fresno, CA 93721-1613

California Rural Legal Assistance:
(559) 441-8721, or 2115 Kern St., Fresno, CA 93721

Attorney Referral Service:
(559) 264-0137, or 1221 Van Ness Ave., Ste. 300, Fresno, CA 93721