"Our family only has one car. During the week, I can’t buy groceries. (But) fruits and vegetables don’t last very long,” says Adriana Figueroa, a Fresno county resident and mother of three young children. The main health problem for families in her area is the “lack of available healthy foods,” she adds.

Many of Figueroa’s neighbors agree with her. In 2005, Fresno Metro Ministry conducted community food assessments with residents—and found the greatest challenges were cost and transportation. Figueroa got involved in the campaign for a healthier community when she heard about Fresno Metro Ministry in her English class at John Burroughs Elementary School.

Community residents, along with Fresno Metro Ministry and the Central California Regional Obesity Program, pushed for community improvements. Now there’s a famers’ market at Burroughs Elementary, parents are learning more about nutrition, and streets near the school are safer.

Organizing neighbors

Figueroa and other parents talked about problems during neighborhood task force meetings, which were held at the community resource center. For example, “we wish (dark alleyways) were better lit or closed, so suspicious people wouldn’t keep using them as places to do their business,” says Figueroa.

Talking to decision-makers

In April 2008, Figueroa and 30 other residents testified in front of the Fresno City Council about the changes they wanted in their communities. “I was nervous, but I asked another parent to translate for me and he made me feel more confident,” Figueroa recalls. “(I said) we want better alleyways. We want changes in traffic patterns to make it easier to take our kids to school and pick them up. We want a park near our neighborhood.” Now there are speed bumps on every corner of Burroughs Elementary School and new crosswalks.

Creating a farmers’ market

In June 2008, Fresno Metro Ministry and other community organizations worked with the city to amend the code to allow farmers’ markets in residentail areas of Fresno. The first farmers’ market opened at Bur-roughs Elementary School.

Parent-to-parent outreach

Maribel Jimenez, a Fresno county resident and mother of five children, has been a strong parent advocate with Fresno Metro Ministry for four years. Jimenez says most families are busy during the week, “so to save time they buy something already prepared without thinking about the harm it might do their families.” Having a nearby farmers’ market “makes it easier (and) gives us the motivation to walk,” she adds. Participat-ing in the campaign makes Jimenez feel she “can help the community by talking to other mothers.”

Figueroa says now she and her family eat fruits and vegetables everyday. And, she adds, if she doesn’t offer fruit to her children, they ask for some!

Continuing the campaign

Fresno Metro Ministry and the Central California Regional Obesity Program are planning to add five more farmers’ markets at schools this year—and to add a farmers’ market association to help build the capacity of local farmers.

Other neighborhoods are also pushing for improvements, says Figueroa—“in some streets they installed fences at both entrances to control traffic. Now other blocks are collecting signatures to get fences like that.”

• Contact: Fresno Metro Ministry, 559-485-1416