‘No matter what’: $40,000 donated to support these good causes in Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – A pair of $20,000 checks were handed over to a pair of good causes in Fresno on Friday.

Fresno’s The Artist Tree made its largest donation ever with a $20,000 check to the Fresno Arts Council and another $20,000 check to the Poverello House .

Poverello House CEO Zack Darrah says the Poverello House would not survive without the continued support of businesses like The Artist Tree.

“The Poverello House has been serving the needs of those experiencing homelessness and addiction in this community for 51 years now,” Darrah said. “We are just blessed to have these partnerships and relationships with people who care about Fresno.”

With recent ordinances from the State of California , the City of Fresno , and Fresno County all set to impact the homeless population, Darrah says donations, like the one made by the Artist Tree, will allow the Poverello House to continue helping the unhoused community.

Darrah adds that the Poverello House will continue working with legislators to find an ultimate solution to the homelessness issue in Fresno.

“The State of California, the County of Fresno, the City of Fresno, we partner with all three of them to do amazing work for people experiencing homelessness in our community,” Darrah said.

“We work together with these folks and we’re going to continue to do so for the good of those experiencing homelessness in our community, no matter what happens.”

According to Darrah donations like the one made by The Artist Tree are just one part of what helps make the Poverello House work. He says partnerships with local groups like the Fresno Arts Council are equally important.

The Fresno Arts Council also received a check for $20,000 to go to the council’s Art Haven Program, which provides unhoused people with the means to learn how to create art – and then sell art.

Fresno Arts Council Executive Director Lilia Gonzales-Chavez says the $20,000 will go directly toward funding the Art Haven program, including paying the program’s art teacher Gema Lopez.

Lopez says it’s overwhelming to see the Artist Tree’s support and belief in the program – as well as the arts council.

“[The unhoused] are also a part of our community,” Lopez said. “very many times they’re forgotten and overlooked, and I’m so grateful that they’re being recognized that this program is being recognized.”

Fresno City Councilmember Annalisa Perea says recognizing and investing in the unhoused community is a symbol of the city’s dedication to all people in Fresno.

“Continued investments for the unhoused population is critical, especially now more than ever,” Perea said. “So even in the hardest of times, our city will continue to invest in the unhoused population.”

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