Poor air quality can have lasting impacts on residents’ health. That’s why community leaders in Fresno, California, are working to ensure neighborhoods have the information and resources they need to advocate for cleaner air. Faith in the Valley, a faith-based grassroots group, is advancing its vision for healthy communities by organizing residents around issues that affect their well-being.  

Through participation in Kresge’s Climate Change, Health & Equity (CCHE) initiative, Faith in the Valley is strengthening its work in Fresno, one of four focus cities where Kresge supports long-term, place-based efforts to advance equity and opportunity 

One example is Healthy Fresno Air, a community-led initiative founded by Kieshaun White and incubated by Faith in the Valley. After discovering that air-quality readings for Fresno were largely based on monitors located outside his neighborhood in southwest Fresno, White advocated for placing monitors where he lives to better reflect local conditions. He later developed an app that helps residents access and understand air-quality data in their own communities. 

Q: Tell us about your work with Faith in the Valley.

A: Faith in the Valley is the organization that incubates Healthy Fresno Air, the project I lead. My work focuses on environmental justice and environmental advocacy. 

I started Healthy Fresno Air in 2016, when I was in high school. The project has changed and evolved over time, but it has always remained focused on educating people throughout Fresno about the air they breathe. We help community members understand real-time air-quality information, why air quality differs across the city and how to read and interpret the data for themselves.  

Q: How do you expect your participation in the CCHE cohort to strengthen your work?

A: The biggest benefit is the relationships. Some participants are people I have met through other climate justice spaces, but the cohort also gives me opportunities to build new connections and learn new approaches that can strengthen Healthy Fresno Air. 

I try to learn something from every gathering. These spaces bring together people with different experiences and insights. The value often comes down to whom you meet and the conversations you have. A single conversation can introduce a new idea, help you rethink your approach or show you another way to move a project forward.  

Q: Why are spaces like the CCHE cohort important in the environmental justice and health equity sectors?

A: They create a sense of community. People doing this work can sometimes feel isolated within their individual cities. In Fresno, it can feel as though we are disconnected from places that have larger or more established networks of climate justice organizations. 

The cohort opens a door for people in communities like mine to build relationships with others doing similar work. Those relationships can lead to collaboration, but they can also give you a trusted space to reflect on and strengthen your own approach. You might be moving in one direction and realize it is not working. Then you have a conversation with someone who offers a different perspective, and suddenly you can see a better path forward.   

That connection is especially important for people working in smaller cities or communities that may not have access to broad local networks. Knowing that there are others you can learn from and reach out to makes the work feel less isolated. 

Q: What do you want people to understand about Healthy Fresno Air and your approach to environmental justice?

A: Healthy Fresno Air is deeply community-based. I move in the direction of the community, and I try to be intentional about creating opportunities for people to participate in the work. 

For example, I currently lead a cohort that teaches community members how to read, understand and communicate air quality data. But education is only one part of it. Participants are also employed through Faith in the Valley. They receive formal employment experience while contributing to environmental advocacy and justice work.