Inanefforttoincreasevoterturnout,theDHFheldcandidateforumsinthecommunitiesofArvin,Lamont,Lindsay,Woodlake,Sanger,andParlier.Communitymembersmettheircandidatesforlocal,state,andnationalofficesrepresentingtheircommunities.Thecandidateswereaskedaspectrumofquestionsrelatedtoeducation,immigration,infrastructure,water,andmore.

InpartnershipwiththeMartinLutherKingJr.FreedomCenter,theDHFlaunchedtheYouthandFamilyCivicEngagementInitiative(YFCEI),aprogramaimedtoincreasecivicparticipationamonglow-income,disenfranchisedyouthandtheirfamiliestoreduceracialandsocio-economicdisparities.Throughevidence-basedbestpractices,theYFCEIistrainingyouthandfamilymembersonmeaningfulleadershiprolesandcivicparticipation.Aleadershipcohortof200low-income,diverseyoungpeopleis

TheDHFworkedwiththeMexicanAmericanLegalDefenseandEducationalFund(MALDEF)in2016inalawsuitagainsttheKernCountyBoardofSupervisors(KCBOS)undertheFederalVotingRightsAct.KernCounty’sLatinopopulationhasbeendisenfranchisedinthelocaldemocraticprocessforthepast20years.In2018,Latinoscomprisedover50%ofthepopulationofKernCountyyetonlyhadoneLatinomajoritysupervisorialdistrict.In2011,theBoardofSupervisorsvotedtoadoptanillegaldistrictmap.Thelawsuitconcludedwith

U.S.DistrictCourtJudgeDaleDrozdorderingtheCountytoworkwithMALDEFtodrawnewlines.Duringtheprocess,DHFsubmittedmapsanddataforconsideration.AsofMarch26,2018,theKCBOSnowhastwoLatino-majoritydistricts.TwoLatinocandidatesrantofilltheopenseatinthenewlycreatedDistrict4inthe2018MidtermElectionsinNovember.Whileneithercandidatewassuccessfulintheirbid,thecommunityisgearingupfor2020andhopefultheywillgainrepresentation.

Youth Development Associate, Rebecca Castro, shared positive feedback from some of the

new cohorts.

"This is really going to help me with school."

"This is only the first class, but I already feel like I have learned so much."

beingrecruitedandselectedfromlocalmiddleandhighschoolsinKern,Fresno,Alameda&ContraCostacounties.TheyattendintensivecivicsandleadershipclassesofferedduringallschoolbreaksandsomeeveningsandSaturdays.Inadditiontotheclasses,cohortmembersparticipateinleadershipexchanges,publicspeaking,andcommunityadvocacyandhavetheopportunitytoassumeleadershiprolesincommunityimprovementandcivicprojects.

Inspiring communities to build volunteer organizations empowered

to pursue social justice!

TheDHFstaffand136volunteers,underthedirectionofCivicEngagementCoordinator,JessContreras,collectedmorethan3,000signaturesforthepetitiontoqualifytheSchoolsandCommunitiesFirstInitiativefortheNovember2020ballot,surpassingitsorganizationalgoal.TheDHF,inpartnershipwiththeCaliforniaCallsstatewidecoalition,hopestofundourschoolsandlocalcommunitiesbyclosingCalifornia’smassivecorporateloophole.Theinitiative,ifpassed,willincreasestaterevenuebymakingcorporationspaytheirfairshareofcommercialpropertytaxes.Readmoreat tinyurl.com/WMNL2018SCFC

DHF’sVecinosUnidos(NeighborsUnited)wereactiveinadvocatingforeducationpolicyreform.EducationPolicyDirector,CeciliaCastro,providedatotalof18LCAPtrainingstoprepareVecinosfortheLocalControlAccountabilityPlan(schooldistrictbudgeting)inputprocess.VecinosUnidoschaptersrepresented10schooldistricts.Atotalof207participantsadvocatedatboardmeetingsand/orpublichearings.Atotalof74

recommendationsweresubmittedtotheschooldistrictsand37ofthesewereadoptedforthe2018-19schoolyear.Recommendationsincludedincreasedfundingtoimplementtranslationservices,enhancedPositiveBehavioralInterventionsandSupports(PBIS),theimplementationofculturalawarenesscurricula,trainingmorecounselors,andhiringmoreteachersofcolor.

TheDHFandcommunitiesattendedboardmeetingstoadvocateforanadditionalLatino-majoritydistrictandthegroupingofcommunitiesofinteresttopreventfurthergerrymandering.Readfullarticleattinyurl.com/WMNL2018GIS

Cecilia Castro, Education Policy Director, demonstrated the GIS maps and worked

with Vecinos to prepare testimonies, for the Board, explaining ways in which they had

been disenfranchised by lack of fair representation. (Above)

Organizing Director, Pam Whalen, and Sanger/Parlier Organizer, Lourdes Oliva, celebrate GOTV and election victories with DHF Vecinos Unidos. (Above)

Dolores Huerta joined Kerry Kennedy, civil rights leaders, and elected officials from across

the nation at the Tornillo-Guadalupe Port of Entry in Texas to demand an end to the

inhumane separation of children from their immigrating families. (Above)

InMay2018,DHFVecinosUnidos(NeighborsUnited)attendedboardmeetingstoadvocateforanadditionalLatino-majoritydistrictandthegroupingofcommunitiesofinterestformorefairrepresentationontheKernHighSchoolDistrict(KHSD)BoardofTrustees.DHF’sGIS(GeographicInformationSystems)Analyst,SophiaGarcia,developedamapusinginformationfromtheAmericanCommunitySurveytodemonstratehowKHSDgerrymanderedboundarieswhichresultedinthecentralizedpowerofthewhiteminority,therebysystematicallydenyingthejustrepresentationofhistoricallydisenfranchisedcommunitiesofcolor.

Dolores Huerta was a guest speaker at PRIDE in the PARK, The South Texas Equality

Project (STEP) and supporting organizations’ annual, family-friendly, LGBTQ celebration in

McAllen, Texas. (Above) (Above)

DHForganizerscontinuedtogrowthevolunteerbaseoftheDoloresHuertaFoundation.NewVecinosUnidos(NeighborsUnited)chapterswereformalizedininFresnoCounty:Sangerin2017andParlierin2018.Greenfield(inSoutheastBakersfield)andCaliforniaCityarethenewestKernCountyVecinosUnidoschapters,alsoestablishedin2018.EachofthenineVecinosUnidoschapterscontinuetohostmonthlycommunityforumstoeducateVecinosonvarioustopicsandprovideleadershipdevelopmenttrainingandupdatesoncurrentevents.

Thisyear,CarolWatkins,CaliforniaCityOrganizer,helpedtoorganizeandestablishthefirstpredominantlyAfrican-AmericanVecinosUnidos(NeighborsUnited)Chapter.DHFhasbeenworkingcloselywithyouthandparentstoaddressthedisciplinecrisisintheMojaveUnifiedSchoolDistrict(MUSD).Asaresult,thedistrictagreedtocreateanAfrican-AmericanParentCommittee.MUSDhasthehighestsuspensionrateofAfrican-Americanstudentsinthestate.Ashocking81%ofAfricanAmericanstudentsweresuspendedorexpelledinthe2014-15schoolyear.CaliforniaCityVecinosachievedgreatvictoriesthroughparentengagementandadvocacyintheLCAPprocess.Harshlyaffectedbyzero-tolerancepoliciesandthepushoutofAfricanAmericanstudents,parentsorganizedandsubmittedrecommendationstoMUSD.Readthefullarticleattinyurl.com/WMNL2018MUSD

Morethan350canvassingvolunteershelpedknockondoorsandmakecallsuntiltheverylastminute,inthedarkofnight,onElectionDaytoeducateandinspiremorethan21,000votersinthecountiesofKern,Tulare,andFresnoonProposition5and10,localmeasures,andtovoteinthe2018MidtermElections.CivicEngagementCoordinator,ElianaHoneycutt,waspleasedwiththeoverwhelmingpositiveresponsetoDHF’sCalltoAction.FriendsandsupporterstraveledfromasfarawayasLosAngelesandtheBayAreatohelpgetoutthevote."Oneweekend,somanyvolunteersshowedupthatwehadstandingroomonly,"said

Joe Kennedy III, Emma Gonzalez, and Dolores Huerta gathered at

Arlington National Cemetery to honor Robert F. Kennedy on the 50th

Anniversary of his Assassination. (Above)

Dolores Huerta joined Marian Wright Edelman and the Latin Grammy winning, all female mariachi group

Flor de Toloache as presenters at TEDWomen 2018 SHOWING UP in La Quinta, California. (Below)

Honeycutt.Sheadded,"Thiswasagreatproblemtohave!”WorkingwithDHFpartners(theDoloresHuertaActionFund,CaliforniaCalls,MillionVotersProject,PowerCalifornia,andOrganizingforAction)VecinosinArvin,Lamont,CaliforniaCity,Lindsay,Woodlake,SangerandParlierparticipatedinturningtheirneighborsouttothepolls,manyofthemforthefirsttime!Theysharedinformationabout“NoonProposition5,”helpingtodefeatthisinitiativeandretainmorethan$1billionforCaliforniaSchoolsannually.DespitethedefeatofProp10,whichwouldhaveexpandedrentcontrolonresidentialproperties,DHFwillcontinuetoworkforaffordablehousingforall.

South Kern Organizer, Timoteo Prado, informs Arvin DHF Vecinos Unidos

(Neighbors United) about Measure G, Prop 5, and Prop 10 to prepare them for door-to-door voter education and get out the vote (GOTV) efforts for the November

general election. (Above)

Iamincrediblyexcitedaboutoursuccessinincreasingvoterparticipationinthe2018MidtermElectionsandtosharesomeofwhatDHFhasaccomplished,thisyear,thankstoYOU-thededicateddonors,supporters,andvolunteersofDHF!Ourteamcontinuestogrow.We’vehirednewstaffforourYouthandFamiliesCivicEngagementInitiative.Thisprojectiscentraltoeliminatingtheschool-to-prisonpipelineandtochangingthecourseofouryouth’sfutureontoapathtosocialjusticeleadership.WeareextremelygratefultotheCalifornialegislatureandGovernorBrownforapprovingfundingfortheYFCEIprojectandfordeclaringApril10asDoloresHuertaDayinCalifornia.SpecialthankstoAssemblymember,EloiseReyes,

wholedtheeffort.Weplantousethisdaytoinspirepeopletolearnmoreaboutthepowerofgrassrootscommunityorganizingandtovolunteerinserviceoftheirlocalcommunities.DHFfocusesoneducatingandengagingvotersyear-round.Itisourdutytoempowerpeopletobecomecivicallyengagedandagentsofchangeintheircommunities.Weencouragethevaluesthatmakeforajustsociety:acceptanceofLGBTfolks,caringforthepoor,womentakingseatsatthetablesofpower,andwelcomingnewneighborsintoourcommunities,regardlessofwherethey’refrom.Inthislastelection,ouryearsofinvestinginpeople-to-peoplecivicengagementworkcametofruitionintheCentralValleywithmoreLatinosparticipatinginstateand

A Note from the President

federalelectionsthaneverbefore,includingsomeDHFVecinoswhoranforlocalnon-partisanofficesandwon!ThiswasinpartduetotheincreaseinvoterparticipationofLatinos,youngpeople,andtheunlikelyandinfrequentvoterswhowereencouragedtovoteasaresultofDHF’sGOTVefforts.Thankyouforbeingapartofthismovementtoinspireindividualstoachievejusticeandequityforourcommunities.¡SíSePuede!DoloresHuerta,PresidentandFounder

InAugust,2018DHFcelebrated15yearsasanorganization(its“Quinceañera”)andhostedthefirstannualVecinosUnidosLeadershipConferenceinWeedpatch,California.Theeventbroughttogetherover140youthandadultleadersfromthenineVecinosUnidoschaptersinKern,Tulare,andFresnocounties.ItwasamemorableandsuccessfulconveningthatDHFplanstomakeanannualevent.ChaptermemberslearnedfromtheirpeersandDHFstaffaboutthepastaccomplishmentsofDHFandVecinoschaptersfromdifferentregions.ExecutiveDirector,CamilaChavez,andotherDHForganizersledbreakoutdiscussionstoidentifyprioritiesfortheupcomingyear.Inaddition,attendeeswereaskedtomakevolunteerrecruitmentcommitmentsforthe2018MidtermElections.Youthinattendanceworkedwithalocalartist,JorgeGuillen,tolearnaboutandcreatetheirownresistanceart.