How this Fresno group is trying to eliminate violence

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – It is Youth Violence Prevention Week, and several Central Valley communities are dealing with the devastating loss of three young lives claimed by acts of violence.

A shooting at a Winton party claimed the life of 17-year-old Carlos Ramirez Chaidez on Sunday.

The same weekend, 17-year-old Lorenso Sanchez got stabbed to death outside the Hanford Mall.

In Clovis, police are still searching for the person accused of shooting and killing 18-year-old Caleb Quick in a McDonald’s parking lot on April 23.

The crimes all happened within a few days of each other, and two of them involve suspects who are also teenagers.

Aaron Foster is a program manager with Advance Peace Fresno, a group within the nonprofit organization Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission.

He says they work to prevent violent crime, particularly reducing gun violence, by providing resources throughout the City of Fresno.

“It starts out as small as getting a driver’s license or creating a resume, and it can be as big as graduating college based on the individual,” he said. “We pick the interests of all of the individuals; we get them to do everything except weapons to diffuse situations. So, that’s it. An alternative to violent conflict.”

He says they work to prevent shootings before they happen by targeting the people who commit violent crime and redirecting them down a different path.

“Those are the people we want the most. The ones that the world is going to throw away. There’s a solution to that. Throwing them away just makes room for somebody to take their space,” Foster explained.

He says stopping the cycle of violence is a key focus of the group.

“We had two individuals that would normally shoot at each other side because of how they were raised. We took them on an excursion to Alabama, and they came back as best friends,” he said. “Communication amongst rivals allows us to put out fires before they turn into gunfire.”

Foster has personal experience.

“Both of my children died on Memorial Day, four years apart, same day the same way. So, after losing my daughter, I’m on a quest to find something that will work in Fresno,” he said. “Losing a child is just ten times worse than you can imagine.”

Fresno EOC says it will continue its mission to help valley residents get the resources they need.

What makes Advance Peace Fresno Unique is its approach to coming alongside those in the community at the center of gun violence, while also connecting them with Fresno EOC resources like education, workforce training, and energy services. Advance Peace Fresno is one of 30 programs at Fresno EOC. Our goal is to help those in poverty. We know gun violence affects not just one person, but an entire family and community. Also, community safety is one of our strategic goals.
Fresno EOC and Advance Peace Fresno

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