Community

  • The Activist for Change: A Profile on Vajra Watson

    May 8, 2019 /

    Upon the life and history of Dr. Vajra Watson, one word comes into play: a hustler. But although hustler is shown to give a large part of the energy presented in her aura, resilient, empowering, and incredible also display a true description of the professor and activist. Read More

  • Merced Denim Day

    May 7, 2019 /

    Girls and Womyn of Color organized a Denim Day demonstration in Downtown Merced.

    gwoc  rise and lift  sexual violence  sexual violence awareness  video  
  • Youth advocates hope for sports program vouchers in Merced

    April 3, 2019 /

    Members of Rise and Lift advocate for a sports voucher program so that youth from low income families could access sports in Merced.

    merced  merced parks and community services  merced sports  rise and lift  south merced  sports  youth leadership institute  youth sports  
  • No Wrong Way to Be Human

    March 19, 2019 /

    Youth reporter Aaliyah Jensen advocates for more trans inclusion and tolerance in school.

  • Believing in Myself

    February 7, 2019 /

    Friendships have the potential to impact our wellness positively or negatively. How do you cope when a companion is no longer a part of your life?  Read how Karina learned to move on and found strength in herself.      Friends come and go Just by the blink of an eye Not only do they leave But, some memories do too You lose the ones you love Now you have to fight alone People will never notice When you fake a smile to hide pain Only someone knows you’re hurt You wouldn’t change a thing didn’t invest time for memories Neither did they try to Struggles meet you straight in the face You still want to satisfy others who wouldn’t change anything for you Nobody would change to see you happy Those type of people are just selfish As I closed my eyes I thought it’ll all be gone As I opened my eyes, it was all gone I stood up stronger now Realizing I don’t need a selfish friend All I need is my self-worth and Knowing who I am Read More

    central valley  community  mental health  merced  youth  
  • A new home called frostbite

    January 7, 2019 /

      According to the Merced City and County Continuum of Care, the City of Merced homeless count dropped very slightly from 318 to 310 in 2018, though the number of displaced people in Merced County rose from 454 to 514.       Your words from the sickness That’s been infecting your mind And swelling your feet Stuck in my head tonight   As I drove out of the parking lot I saw you Clutching the rag That gave you some warmth We made eye contact And my empathy Signaled I needed to break the boundaries Broadcasting our society   So I parked again And walked up to the front I gave you a blanket And watched The fear in your eyes Escape   As the tears welled up Sanity hit through Only for second But then your words clouded And your ranting started to spew   Bipolar and Schizophrenia You shouted out addresses Of loved ones Who left you Alone with your demons You scratched at your clothes Infested with dirt And clung to your body Soaked in heroin All drugs you thought could mask the relentless pain In your head   You said They wanted to put you In an institution But even your unawareness Couldn’t give you the benefit For the cold Was blowing your feet And socks weren’t coming   I only have These cheese sticks I bought in a hurry For my lunches I’m sure your empty stomach Would appreciate it As you were yelling It would give you some strength   But cheese sticks Can’t fix the swirls in your head I wish I could pull out Those memories of the streets Instead   People in your position Remind me of my luck That I have a home With a warm fresh coat And no fear of being struck   I have no fright Of extreme poverty On a cold December night Outside of a Target parking lot I have no fright of bare feet and a decayed young mind Read More

    community  growing up in Merced  homelessness  mental health  merced county homeless count  substance abuse