July 12, 2026 Action Email
This upcoming weekend (July 17-19) is the annual Good Trouble Lives On weekend. It is a weekend to remember the…
The Central Valley Watch Hotline number is 559-206-0151. Call this number to report any ICE action that you see. Observe and document/videotape, but do not interfere. When you call, be specific: location, vehicle details, time. This is spearheaded by the Valley Watch Rapid Response Team, which is part of Faith in the Valley. For more information, follow this link. https://faithinthevalley.org/vwn/#community-support
This upcoming weekend (July 17-19) is the annual Good Trouble Lives On weekend. It is a weekend to remember the life of John Lewis and to commit to acting out (acting up?) for civil rights and voting rights for everyone. Our country has not lived up to its proclamation of “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” John Lewis, who died on July 17, 2020, lived his life calling every one of us to strengthening our commitment to nonviolence, racial justice, civil rights, and voting rights.
Read his speech at the March on Washington (1963) here. https://voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu/lewis-speech-at-the-march-on-washington-speech-text/
There are several “Good Trouble Lives On” events in our area, one in Fresno and one in Reedley. https://www.goodtroubleliveson.org/. FYI: the Reedley rally is not on the map. For those not in Reedley or Fresno, find your event on this map. https://www.mobilize.us/john-lewis-actions/map/ In Reedley, we will gather on the corner of Manning and Reed Avenues. Join us if you can.
We also remember several deaths this past week: Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, killed by ICE in Texas; and Nolan Xavier Wells in Mississippi. While not all details are known yet, both deaths reveal a longstanding reality in our country of empire and racism.
For this newsletter, we are once again focusing on local issues, particularly on how to support Faith in the Valley / Valley Watch Network in a time when the needs are enormous. VWN and the legal observers that they train are out in front of the hard work to be accomplished here in the Central Valley
Create some joy today for yourself and those around you. And, as always, may you find at least one act of Resistance to do this week. Below there are two sections on possible actions. One is for local issues here in the Central Valley, the other is for national concerns.
We have agency. We have strength. We will show up. We will speak out.
We’re in this together,
Hope and Gary
I appeal to all of you to get into this great revolution that is sweeping this nation. Get in and stay in the streets of every city, every village and hamlet of this nation until true freedom comes, until the revolution of 1776 is complete.
The Honorable John Lewis (1940-2020)
UPCOMING EVENTS/PROTESTS/TRAININGS
Multi-Faith Prayer Vigil in Support of Immigrant Families
First Wednesday of each month
10-11 a.m.
ICE Processing Center, 733 L Street, Fresno
Bridge Brigade Antifa Fridays
NEW TIME—SAME LOCATION
Every Friday 7 – 9 a.m.
Shaw and 41, Fresno
ICE Out For Good
With Visalia
Every Sunday 2 p.m.
Mooney and Caldwell, Visalia
Peace Fresno Weekly Protest
No War! No ICE! Free Palestine!
NEW TIME AND LOCATION
Every Saturday, 9:30-11 a.m.
Shaw and Fresno Streets, Fresno
Good Trouble Lives On – Fresno
John Robert Lewis Democratic Club (see attached)
https://www.mobilize.us/john-lewis-actions/event/977856/
Friday, July 17, 2026
6 p.m.-dusk
Broadway Parque, 940 N. Broadway Street, Fresno
Reedley Peace Center
Bi-Monthly Protest / Good Trouble Lives on
Saturday, July 18, 2026
9-10:00 a.m.
Corner of Reed and Manning, Reedley
HOPE IS A VERB: Weekly actions you can take
LOCAL ACTIONS
- County Supervisor Meeting
Tuesday, July 14, 9:30 a.m.
Hall of Records, Room 301, 2281 Tulare St., Fresno
Agenda https://fresnocounty.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1337148&GUID=FBB8BE7F-E8D7-4580-8184-1CA8DAD7D26D
Live meeting audio link can be found on this page, link under “Upcoming Meetings”. https://fresnocounty.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
- County Supervisor Watch
On June 2, Supervisor Bredefeld asked the County Administrative Officer to look into the potential cost savings associated with privatizing the Fresno County Public Library system.
The Friends of the Fresno County Public Library are gathering information. Check this web page and find out what you can do to help protect our library system. Please write a letter to your supervisor and send letters to the newspapers.
A Fresnoland article about library privatization can be found here.
Amid years-long culture war, Fresno County looks at privatizing its libraries
- Donate to Faith in the Valley / Valley Watch Network
The legal observers that have been trained by Valley Watch Network are doing a difficult task. They pick up released detainees at any time of the day or night. Most detainees have no appropriate clothes for travel. Many are from other places across the country. When they are met by the legal observers, they are often in tears because they haven’t been treated kindly in months.
The legal observers help them on their way. They take them to the airport or bus station. They give them clothing and meals, and find lodging for them while travel plans are being made.
Please donate to Faith in the Valley. Earmark your donation for “VWN travel and lodging” so that it goes to the care and transportation of released detainees.
Donate to the Valley Watch Network
- Backpack Drive for Recently Released Detainees
Valley Watch legal observers are putting backpacks together to give to people as they are released from ICE custody.
(See the attached flyer for what donations they need.)
Donations can be dropped off at:
Building Healthy Communities, 367 N. First Street, Fresno
(M-F: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.)
In Reedley, you can drop off donations with Hope Nisly who will get them to Immigration Assistance. (Text me at 559-859-5005 before you drop things off. I will let you know an appropriate time and provide my location.)
- Chicano Youth Center (Fresno County)
(See the attached flyer for what donations they need.)
The Chicano Youth Center, Hijas de Tonantzin, and Mothers Helping Mothers are hosting donation distributions and Safety Planning information for rural Fresno County.
Financial donations can be made through ZELLE: chicanoyouthcentersjv@gmail.com
All donations can be dropped off at:
Immigration Assistance, 1435 Fresno Street, #13, Fresno
(M-F: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.)
In Reedley, you can drop off donations (goods or money/checks) with Hope Nisly who will get them to Immigration Assistance. (Text me at 559-859-5005 before you drop things off. I will let you know an appropriate time and provide my location.)
- Support AB 2465, the No Taxpayer Dollars for Family Separation Act
https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2465/id/3412187
This California state act would stop companies tied to detention, deportation, and family separation from receiving California taxpayer-funded benefits, subsidies, grants, loans, or tax credits. Families are sacred, and public dollars should protect families rather than reward detention profiteering.
AB 2465 has passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee with a strong 11-2 vote.
Thank you to everyone who called, emailed and urged your Judiciary Committee members to vote YES on AB 2465. We’re especially grateful to @senatorcaballero for standing with families and affirming that public dollars should not support systems that harm our communities.
AB 2465 will now move to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Stay tuned for next steps and ways to keep the pressure on.
- Understand the California ballot measure to make voting more restrictive
On the 2026 California ballot will be a measure that would rewrite the California constitution and propose new ID requirements and restrict voting access. See this article on Democracy Docket. https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/sweeping-gop-backed-anti-voting-measure-qualifies-for-california-ballot/
Understand this and find your own ways to get the word out to your family, friends and neighbors about what it means. Squelch misinformation wherever you can.
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HOPE IS A VERB: Weekly actions you can take
NATIONAL ACTIONS
- Stop Trump’s War on Iran
This is one of Indivisible’s actions, and it can be found at this link. https://indivisible.org/campaigns/stop-trumps-disastrous-war-on-iran/
On this page, you will find more information and easy links to call or email you MOCs.
- Reject the Trump-Netanyahu Military Partnership
This is another one of Indivisible’s actions.
Follow this link for a quick way to send your MOCs a message.
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RESOURCES
How to Contact the Supreme Court: Send a message to the court and the justices in one of three ways. 1) by email — follow this link https://www.supremecourt.gov/contact/contact_pio.aspx , 2) by mail — Letters can be addressed to individual justices or to the Court generally and sent to 1 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20543, or 3) by phone – call 202-479-3000 (Mon – Fri 9 a.m. EST to 5:30 p.m. EST).
For excellent daily analysis of events, read or listen to Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American. (https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/) In addition to laying out what is happening, HCR puts current events into historical context, an important aspect of understanding the present. Twice a week (Tues / Thurs 3 p.m. PST), she also does a broadcast “Politics Talk.”
Know & Grow: Tools for Resistance and Resilience / KPFA
KPFA has compiled a list of community resources for Northern and Central California, that they keep updated.
https://kpfa.org/featured-episode/455269/
Adam Schiff – follow Senator Schiff on his Substack. He puts out frequent videos talking about issues. https://substack.com/@senschiff
APPS to help make calls (and to send emails):
- 5 Calls (download from your app store or at https://5calls.org/)
- Climate Action Now (download from your app store or at https://www.climateactionnow.com/)
APP to assist buying decisions
- Goods Unite Us (download from your app store or at the website https://www.goodsuniteus.com/
Central Valley Watch Hotline: 559-206-0151
Call this number to report any ICE action that you see. Also, observe and document/videotape, but do not interfere.
Mennonite Action Network https://mennoniteaction.org
Resistbot https://resist.bot or text the word RESIST to 50409. This is a texting system that helps you quickly contact your MOCs about specific issues.
Numbers for our reps:
Whitehouse Switchboard 202-456-1414
Gov. Gavin Newsom 916-445-2841 gov.ca.gov
Atty Gen Rob Bonta 916-445-9555
Adam Schiff 202-224-3841 schiff.senate.gov
Alex Padilla 202-224-3553 / 559-497-5109 padilla.senate.gov
Jim Costa 202-225-3341 / 559-395-1620 costa.house.gov
Vince Fong 202-225-2915 / 559-701-2530 fong.house.gov
David Valadao 202-225-4695 / 559-584-3564 valadao.house.gov
Ana Caballero 916-651-4104 sd14.senate.ca.gov
Alexandra Macedo 916-319-2033 (Sacramento) or 559-636-3440 (Tulare office)
Online contact https://ad33.asmrc.org/contact-me/
For more reps and for those of you not in Reedley, you can find contacts for all your elected officials here:
Ballotready.org – enter your address, then click on “meet your representatives.” This gives you all reps down to the local level.