Broke…and Broken by George Hostetter (source: The Fresno Bee)

SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY

The first and most noted reality of our Valley is our distinction as the ‘Agricultural Capital of the World.’

• 2006 crop reports totaled over $20.6 billion of gross product value.  Fresno County leads with over $4.8 billion.  Tulare County is second with over $3.8 billion
• The 2000 census reported that 655,000 people or 21% of the total population of the San Joaquin Valley live below the poverty level.  That poverty level is reported as a family of five living on $1,677 or less per month.

People without health insurance age 0-64

• The San Joaquin Valley and Los Angeles areas have the highest concentration in all of California.

Children living in poverty

• 1 in 4 children in our Valley live in poverty (in some areas it’s 1 in 3 children).
• The San Joaquin Valley leads all of California.
• In June 2003 The Fresno Bee reported that we are now called “The Appalachia of the West”

Heavy alcohol use in adults 18 and over

• The San Joaquin Valley leads all of California as reported in 2001.

Domestic violence defined by hospitalization among women

• The San Joaquin Valley leads all of California.

Drug-related misdemeanor convictions 18 and older

• The San Joaquin Valley leads all of California.
• Meth manufacturing: It is estimated that as much as 80% of all meth manufacturing in the U.S. comes from the San Joaquin Valley.

Data resource: www.GREATVALLEY.org

RELIGIOUS CONGREGATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS

Why are Christians and churches so important?

“There are more religious congregations and organizations per capita found in the San Joaquin Valley than any other place in California”  - A quote from our friends at the Great Valley Center.

In a recent report there were over 1,400 Christian churches identified in our Valley.  Individuals and families connected by values have historically played an integral role in shaping and supporting communities.  According to the findings of the recent ‘Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey’ “Even comparing people of comparable education level, income, and so on, religiously engaged people are more likely than religiously disengaged people to be involved in civic groups of all sorts, to vote, to be active in community affairs, to trust other people (from shopkeepers to neighbors) to know the names of public officials, to socialize with friends and neighbors, and even simply to have a wider circle of friends.  However, findings demonstrated that participating in religious communities is “more likely to ‘bond’ individuals with those like them than to ‘bridge’ them to those unlike them.” 

• An independent research group, The American Church Research Project, reports that 12.9% of people living in the Central Valley regularly attend a Christian church.

• This represents approximately 415,000 committed church attendees.

• Imagine if every one of these 415,000 faithful attendees practiced Jesus’ words of loving your neighbor as you love yourself.  If each one of these people would extend God’s love to a different person each day for seven days straight, every man, woman, and child in our Valley would have experienced God’s love in just one week.

ESA’s Observation:

In the rural communities of the San Joaquin Valley, many of the pastors hold down a day job as well as pastor their church, because of the poverty level in their community.  Consequently many of the pastors don’t even know each other or how they can help or impact their own community.

His Promise:

2 Chronicles 7:14 “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Our Prayer:

We are asking God for the greatest outpouring of His Holy Spirit the Central San Joaquin Valley has ever seen.  Our hearts ache because of the poverty, pain, and bondage that our Valley neighbors are experiencing.