On February 13th, local water leaders and community members gathered to celebrate the announcement of a historic $25.5 million grant for the Lamont Public Utility District (LPUD) by the state’s Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) program. No other small water district has received a grant this large. For over ten years, the LPUD had been working on consolidating a mutual water district and replacing three failing wells in their service area. “Lamont is a severely disadvantaged community, and as such, state funding is critical for its clean, safe drinking water and the survival of approximately 20,000 Hispanic farm workers,” said LPUD General Manager Scott Taylor.  

The Lamont PUD sought help from local, County, and State resources for this project. SHE’s Community Development (CD) team was up for the task. They partnered with the LPUD and the State Water Board to provide technical assistance. Together, they set goals and plans to make the project possible.  

During the press conference, Scott Taylor noted that this grant will be an investment in the lives of community members and their children’s futures by providing access to clean water for 50-60 years! A Lamont PUD Board member also discussed how this investment will make Lamont stronger and healthier—families and businesses will feel safe growing here because there’s clean water.  

“That, in particular, got me teary-eyed,” said Melissa Bergen, SHE Community Development Specialist. “I grew up on a private well in a rural community, and I know firsthand that lack of access to water changes the investment people can make in communities. I am thrilled for Lamont and celebrating the work of Lamont PUD’s Board and staff advocating for their community!” 

When Norma Falcon first applied to SHE’s Rehabilitation Program, her priority was helping her mom receive assistance to repair her deteriorating home in Sanger. Since her dad passed away two years ago from COVID, Norma and her siblings have taken care of their mom together. “Her home was totally destroyed,” said Norma. “The foundation was off, and nothing was working right.”  

During the application process, Norma mentioned that her home in Parlier also needed repairs. Her bathroom, in particular, had holes in the back of the sink, growing mold, and a bathtub that had become dangerous to get into due to Norma’s back problems. It was then that Irma Wheeler, SHE’s Housing Rehab Project Technician, suggested she also apply for assistance with her own home’s repairs.  

Although applying for assistance for separate homes located in two cities seemed daunting at first, Norma was able to secure repairs for her bathroom and also the reconstruction of her mom’s home. “Irma is the best, she’s the one that told me, ‘I’m going to ask you for a lot of stuff, but don’t lose hope, just keep bringing the documents to me, and we’ll get through it,’” said Norma. “She explained everything so perfectly.” 

Norma’s bathroom is now completely rehabilitated with full accessibility modifications, including replacing her bathtub with a shower unit, a new comfort height toilet, new flooring, and hardware throughout. “I let everybody see my bathroom now,” said Norma. “I can finally walk in with no problems.”  

Her mom’s house is also nearly finished with the reconstruction process. She will soon be able to move into a safer home with wheelchair-accessible features. Through their positive experience, Norma’s brother was also encouraged to apply to the program and was able to receive assistance to replace the roof of his Fresno home.  Read More

The State Water Board recently announced newly appointed Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) Advisory Group members. These include SHE’s Community Development Manager, Eva Dominguez, who will begin a two-year term as a Technical Assistance Provider.  

“I am excited for the opportunity to be part of the SAFER Advisory Group and provide input based on the many years of experience SHE has working alongside communities to resolve their drinking water issues,” said Eva.  

The SAFER program helps provide funding sources for various programs at the State Water Board. SHE’s Community Development and Emergency Services teams also receive funding from SAFER to help serve communities needing safe drinking water. The SAFER Advisory Group provides advice and feedback to the State Water Board on various SAFER programs. Its members come from different stakeholders across the State, including residents, public water system representatives, nongovernmental organizations, and technical assistance providers such as SHE.  

New appointments to the board also include Kristin Dobbin, who partnered with SHE to develop the Leadership Institute. Michael Prado, Sr., a long-time community partner from Sultana, was also reappointed. Congratulations to all the new members!