The Team
My name is Mariano Marquez III. I'm a San Francisco filmmaker who's shooting a documentary feature about the homeless situation in Central California's City of Fresno. After witnessing the overwhelming circumstances of thousands of homeless people in downtown Fresno, I knew I had to go a step further beyond filmmaking. That's why I established the Pam Kincaid Memorial Fund. If you would like to know more about me, please read my Artist Statement:
http://www.lightningraypictures.com/about
This campaign is sponsored by the Eco Village Project of Fresno, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The board of directors of the Eco Village Project of Fresno include:
- Arthur Dyson
- Mike Rhodes
- Dixie Salazar
- Gerry Bill
Mike Rhodes is editor of Fresno's Community Alliance newspaper and an activist for homeless rights. Dixie Salazar is a local artist frequently seen reaching out to Fresno's homeless community, while Gerry Bill is Professor Emeritus of Fresno City College and a longtime activist. Finally, Arthur Dyson is a world-renowned architect and Dean Emeritus of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. Dyson has designed a plan for green and sustainable Eco Villages. His vision not only offers a solution to end global homelessness, but a blueprint for job training and self-empowerment.
The Pam Kincaid Story
For over a decade, the City of Fresno has been home to thousands of homeless people who live in communities known as 'tent cities' or 'encampments.' Pam Kincaid was a prominent leader & activist for Fresno's homeless community. In 2006, she was the lead-plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit that was filed against the City of Fresno for street clean-ups that resulted in the immediate destruction of homeless property that sometimes included valuable personal items like family photos, clothes and urns with the remains of loved ones.
In 2008, the lawsuit resulted in the biggest settlement for homeless defendants in U.S. history, requiring the City of Fresno to pay 2.3 million dollars. Unfortunately, Kincaid did not live to see this historic victory. On August 1, 2007, Kincaid died under mysterious circumstances after falling to her death from a 4th story balcony at a local hospital.
For more information, please read the following articles:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/08/08/18439524.php
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/10/25/18323305.php
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/06/22/18429489.php
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/08/18/18441458.php
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/05/13/18498973.php
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/06/06/18504842.php
The Mission
The mission of the Pam Kincaid Memorial Fund is to provide Fresno's homeless with a respectable standard of living via basic services. Our current funding goal is a starting point for Project Homeless Dignity. As the Eco Village Project of Fresno works towards housing the homeless, these funds will provide hundreds of homeless people with access to things like portable toilets, trash bins, sleeping bags, covers, clothes, food and bottled water for 1 year. It will cost much more to accomplish this goal, but about $15,000 has already been covered by the generous contributions of local donors. With your help, we can go beyond our starting point of $16,500. The more we exceed our goal, the greater the impact on our homeless community.
All donations are tax-deductible. Campaign contributions go directly to the Eco Village Project of Fresno, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Members of the Eco Village Project of Fresno believe wholeheartedly in the mission of the United Nations:
"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control."
— Article 25, Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Message
If you can't donate to the fund, the best way to help is by spreading the word. We believe everyone has a right to help however they can, whenever they can. If you have an account on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, a blog or any other form of social media... you can be a member of this campaign. As a special thanks to those who help get the word out, you'll receive website credit as:
'Messenger of the Homeless'
Contribution Perks
$10 donations receive permanent credit on my website, a 'thank you' on Facebook & Twitter and 10 high-resolution production photos from the feature documentary, Encampment. Many of the pics are beautiful portraits of homeless people taken at Fresno's tent cities. You also receive a video update.
$15 donations receive permanent credit on my website, a 'thank you' on Facebook & Twitter and 15 high-resolution production photos from the feature documentary, Encampment. Many of the pics are beautiful portraits of homeless people taken at Fresno's tent cities. You also receive a video update.
$25 donations receive permanent credit on my website, a 'thank you' on Facebook & Twitter and 20 high-resolution production photos from the feature documentary, Encampment. Many of the pics are beautiful portraits of homeless people taken at Fresno's tent cities. You also receive a video update and a digital flipbook that includes pictures, special notes and your name.
$50 donations receive permanent credit on my website, a 'thank you' on Facebook & Twitter and 30 high-resolution production photos from the feature documentary, Encampment. Many of the pics are beautiful portraits of homeless people taken at Fresno's tent cities. You also receive a video update and a digital flipbook that includes pictures, special notes and your name. As a bonus, you're entitled to a special 'Thank You' video featuring your name.
$75 donations receive permanent credit on my website, a 'thank you' on Facebook & Twitter and 40 high-resolution production photos from the feature documentary, Encampment. Many of the pics are beautiful portraits of homeless people taken at Fresno's tent cities. You also receive a video update and a digital flipbook that includes pictures, special notes and your name. As a bonus, you're entitled to a special 'Thank You' video featuring your name. As a second bonus, your special 'Thank You' video will include a unique 'In Honor' or 'In Memory' dedication to a person or organization of your choice.
Thank You
Thanks in advance to all the contributors of this campaign.
I also thank and acknowledge the following people for their generous contributions to Fresno's homeless community:
-
Alphonso Williams – Founder of the Free United Homeless Coalition (FUHC) & Homeless Advocate
- Arthur Dyson – Architect & Homeless Advocate
-
Bill Simon – Chair of Fresno Chapter, ACLU & Homeless Advocate
-
Christopher Herring – PhD Student at University of California, Berkeley & Homeless Advocate
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Chris Schneider – Executive Director at Central California Legal Services & Homeless Advocate
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Christy Wong – Homeless Advocate
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Dixie Salazar – Artist & Homeless Advocate
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Donna Lopez – Cook at Fresno Food Not Bombs
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Donna Taylor – Director at Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health & Homeless Advocate
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Doreen Eley – Administrative Director at Poverello House & Homeless Advocate
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Floyd Harris – Reverend & Homeless Advocate
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Georgia Williams – Chair of Fresno Chapter, Peace and Freedom Party & Homeless Advocate
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Gerry Bill – Professor Emeritus of Fresno City College & Homeless Advocate
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Gloria Hernandez – Homeless Advocate
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Jean Kennedy – Professor at Fresno City College & Homeless Advocate
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Jim Grant – Host at KNXT TV, Fresno & Homeless Advocate
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Judy Hess – Chair of Fresno Chapter, Progressive Democrats of America & Homeless Advocate
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Kevin Hamilton – Deputy Chief of Programs at Clinica Sierra Vista
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Kelly Borkert – Coordinator at Fresno Food Not Bombs & Homeless Advocate
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Laura Rose Pierce – Homeless Advocate
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Laura Tanner-McBrien – Coordinator of Project ACCESS at Fresno Unified School District & Homeless Advocate
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Linda Cano – Executive Director at Fresno Art Museum & Homeless Advocate
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LoriAnne Tennison – Artist & Homeless Advocate
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Michele L. Tutunjian – Director at EOC Sanctuary and Youth Services & Homeless Advocate
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Mike Rhodes – Editor of the Community Alliance & Homeless Advocate
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Nancy Waidtlow – Founder of the Dakota EcoGarden & Homeless Advocate
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Paul M. Orduno – Homeless Advocate
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Ray Polk – Homeless Minister & Advocate
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Salvador Sandoval – Medical Doctor & Homeless Advocate
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Sandy Perry – Justice Minister & Homeless Advocate
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Sarah Williams – Homeless Advocate
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Sharen "Big Sue" Bobbitt – Homeless Advocate
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Tina Borkert – Volunteer at Fresno Food Not Bombs & Homeless Advocate
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Vance Cantu – Homeless Minister & Advocate
Additional thanks goes to all homeless advocates from the following organizations:
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
- Bishop John Steinbock Homeless Advocacy Committee
- California State University, Fresno
- Central California Legal Services
- Clinica Sierra Vista
- Community Alliance
- Community Homeless Alliance Ministry (CHAM)
- Dakota Eco Garden
- Firewood Brigade
- Free United Homeless Coalition (FUHC)
- Fresno Art Museum
- Fresno Center for Non-Violence
- Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission
- Fresno Food Not Bombs
- Fresno Homeless Advocates
- Grace Community Church of Fresno
- Hope Lutheran Church of Fresno
- KNXT-TV, Fresno
- Parkside Crew
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno
- Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee (SHOC)
- To Know Him Ministry of Fresno
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno
- Wesley United Methodist Church of Fresno
- Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP)
There are countless others fighting for the rights of Fresno's homeless...
Thank you all for your support, and most importantly, thank you for providing dignity to Fresno's homeless.
Links
http://www.lightningraypictures.com
http://www.fresnoalliance.com
http://www.arthurdyson.com
http://www.dixiesalazar.com
http://www.centerfornonviolence.org
http://www.fresnostate.edu
http://www.fresnoartmuseum.org
http://www.clinicasierravista.org
http://www.centralcallegal.org
http://www.fresnoeoc.org
http://www.knxt.tv
http://www.dioceseoffresno.org
http://www.uufresno.org
http://www.wesleyfresno.org
http://www.hopelutheranfresno.org
http://www.cham-ministry.org
http://www.aclu.org
http://www.sacshoc.org
http://www.wraphome.org
http://www.fresnoalliance.com/FNB