​By AARON HILL
Special to the Times

If you happened to be driving down Main Street in Merced on a recent morning, you may have caught sight of something new downtown. 

Garbed in vibrant green shirts, hats and gloves, and armed with trash grabbers, the “Restore Merced” team was busy cleaning up trash on the Main corridor.  After a sweep from the team — picking up thousands of discarded cups, straws and cigarette butts, and cleaning out an abandoned homeless camp — the public areas looked bright and clean.  

It all reflected the pride that we all feel toward our downtown. 

Leading the team was Silverio Garcia, the crew chief. Garcia was one of the first graduates of Restore Merced’s work preparation program, Jobs for Life, which helps build the habits, attitudes and soft skills that enable successful employment.  
The local effort, however, adds the new “Restore Jobs” strategy that builds upon Jobs for Life by providing actual work experience. The approach is informed by previous experience and successful work programs in other cities, including Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles and New York’s “Ready, Able, & Willing.”  

Restore Jobs provides work experience for individuals who have been formerly homeless, incarcerated, and are in recovery from addiction, that are transitioning to the workforce and housing independence. It provides skills and affirms dignity through work, allowing individuals in the program to create a solid job history and provide training for more skilled positions. The program will have participants engaged for a period of six months to a year, depending upon the needs of the individual. Alongside work, the program provides a framework and support network that encourages accountability and long-term success. 

The first phase of “Restore Jobs” will clean public areas downtown, Bear Creek, and Black Rascal Creek, which at times have seen significant trash build up from homeless populations and littering.  

Working alongside the crew, were the two founders of Restore Merced, Matt St. Pierre and Caleb Medefind. The two young men are natives of the area. They went away to college and began successful careers in other cities, but ultimately decided to return, motivated by a deep love for the city and people of Merced.
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“The Merced region overflows with so many good things: rich agriculture, Lake Yosemite, beautiful mountains, friendly and caring citizens, our great junior college and the new University, and so much more,” St. Pierre said. “The challenges Merced faces are significant, too, but even those are great opportunities that can be turned to contribute to the great future we see for Merced. That’s what Restore Merced is all about.” 

Similar programs show that for $1 invested, taxpayers save $3.60 on emergency and criminal justice expenses.  
Medefind observed, “It’s tempting to respond to poverty by providing money or material goods. That can be helpful in an emergency. But often, giving money does more harm than good by sapping personal initiative and injuring the dignity of the individual we aim to help. Typically, people are back in the same situation when the money runs out.  Helping people succeed in work is a huge part of helping them change the trajectory of their lives.” 

Many residents and business have pitched in to support the new program. This includes a van already provided by Via-Trailways. The overall Restore Merced effort offers business marketing sponsorships ranging from $500 to $5,000, which provide varying levels of partnership marketing including things like Facebook ads and sandwich signs near the work crews. It is estimated that a monthly donation of $1,500 will allow for regular clean up of 5 miles of roads & bike trails. 
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Sam Geil, who helps run and manage the Central Valley Opportunity Fund had this to say about the initiative and the founders, "I believe that Caleb and Matt represent the future for sustained success by providing local solutions for managing long-term homelessness in Merced. My role was to help secure funding for the project on a capitol basis, and was happy to do so, based upon their solid business plan and strength of character. Although homelessness is a national issue that can benefit from federal and statewide funding, this is an issue that will primarily be solved through local initiative and effort, which Restore Merced provides."   

Each year, the Merced City Council reaches out to the community to gain input on those areas of interest that are most important to residents. The council then establishes budget goals and priorities to guide the allocation of the budget and prioritize projects for staff. During the fiscal year 2018/19 priority setting sessions, the city council identified “City Beautification” and “Community Wellness” as priorities for the upcoming year. The Restore Merced projects aligns with these priorities by blending a work experience program with city beautification in the areas defined.
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In addition to the Restore Jobs program, Restore Merced also engages the community in other ways. ‘Jobs for Life’ is a program providing ongoing education for soft skills, resume building, interview training, one-on-one mentoring. They also provide budgeting and personal finance class, a key area for individuals on the road of transition out of poverty and housing insecurity into sustained independence. Lastly, an emphasis on working with downtown neighbors for the good of the community, Restore Merced also provides an after school program that focuses on mentorship and academic skill building. 
St. Pierre summed up Restore Merced’s vision for the future of our community: “Our programs focus on community transformation in downtown Merced by entering into transformative relationships that provide economic, social, and spiritual flourishing for all residents.”

As for the success of the initial clean up — downtown business owners and tenants took note. Manuel Alvarado from The Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce said: “It’s encouraging to see people caring for the downtown corridor; seeing these young men making a commitment to bettering their lives and investing in their future is what Merced values are all about.” 
Mayor Mike Murphy also stopped by to congratulate the group on their hard work and for the effort they were putting in to beautify the downtown area. 

If you happen to see them hard at work on the bike paths or on Main Street, say hello, honk your horn, and let them know that you support their work to Restore Merced! 

UC Merced’s graduation may have come and gone for the year but the impact of the college experience lives on as graduates take their learnings and embark upon their journeys. One of those journeys is of Tomanik’e Banks, whose early life started in the foster system of Oakland, where she grew and worked her way to UC Merced where she recently graduated with a degree in Public Health. She’s now a few weeks into the Peace Corps at Sierra Leone working in their health department.
 
As a child placed in the foster care system at the end of sixth grade, Tomanik’e faced many obstacles. One of those being that by the time she ended sixth grade, she had the equivalent of a second grade education. Throughout her tenure as a middle school and high school student, she worked hard to fight for herself with the support of her social workers. She thrived academically in high school while moving through six foster homes.This determination and hard work earned her a place at UC Merced, and she was accepted into UC Merced’s Guardian Scholars program, which provides support for foster youth and helps them stay in college. She helped found the Guardian Scholars Club for Merced foster youth. Tomanik’e appreciated the support she received from the Guardian Scholars program advisors. “They have your back and if they don’t have an answer they will find it for you. They care about foster youth and work hard to make sure our needs are taken care of.”
 
Tomanik’e was drawn to UC Merced by it’s “pleasant, happy, and welcoming atmosphere. I liked that the campus was small and because of that, it has a small student to teacher and even student to faculty ratio. I was always able to meet with teachers and faculty, and even the Vice Chancellor. My Teacher’s Assistant (TA) even asked me to intern for her and you just don’t hear about that at other universities. UC Merced really takes care of the students.”
 
As for the town of Merced, “it grew on me [laughs]. Merced is great. Sometimes it seems like there’s more cows than people. There’s actually more people than cows and those people are awesome.” She credits the community as a draw of the town and got involved with her church, Bear Creek Community Church. She also hopes that Merced residents and students continue to get involved with each other. “I love the UC. It would be great to work for the UC one day, but it’s really competitive so I don’t know if that’s realistic, but I would love to upon receiving my PHD.” It’s a safe bet that Tomanik’e could work for the UC one day or will land wherever she desires with her focused determination that got her through school and into the Peace Corps.
 
Merced County has a great program, CASA, that supports local foster youth. But those not involved in CASA might not know much about the foster community. Tomanik’e sheds light onto what Mercedians should know about foster youth. “It’s the attitude towards foster kids that can have the biggest impact. We’ve been through a lot of trouble but we are not trouble ourselves. There’s a negative stigma about foster kids. The stereotypes about us are because the parents were crappy, but it doesn’t mean that their kids don’t have a chance. We had a bad break. Be mindful about your interactions with foster youth and be mindful of what you're saying.” As for advice for other foster youth who might want to follow in her footsteps one day, Tomanik’e says, “use your resources because that’s how I got to where I am today. Ask about the resources if you don’t know what’s available to you and remember to advocate for yourself. No matter how good your resources are, they can only help with what they know.” I could hear Tomanik’e’s voice warm when she spoke about her foster family, the Wong’s, who live in the East Bay. “I love my foster family. No matter what I do they don’t lock the door [laughs]. We’ve been together for four years as a family. I came to them the summer before I went to college and now it’s just home.”​

From Oakland to Sierra Leone, Tomanik’e is sure to have many adventures ahead of her. I spoke to Tomanik’e two days before her departure for Sierra Leone. She was “excited to start my life. God’s given me the heart to serve. I want to go out and help where I can.” No doubt she has many great things ahead of her and will continue to thrivei. We can’t wait to see what you accomplish, Tomanik’e. Good luck!

Last week, 66 Central Valley veterans came together in Washington DC and received the warmest welcome of the service career. John Nelson of Clovis served in the Army in Vietnam, “It’s an honor, having people clap for us on the trip. When we got back from Vietnam, people would spit on us and call us names. The war wasn’t right but it wasn’t our choice, we just served our country. It wasn’t until years later when a trainer on a job who also served in Vietnam, wrapped his arms around me and said ‘welcome home’. It was the first time anyone ever did that.” The Central Valley Honor Flight (CVHF) gave these veterans a proper homecoming that they deserved by giving them an  opportunity to be honored, welcomed, and thanked in our nation's capital. The reception these veterans received everywhere we want was incredibly moving and touched them deeply. Lines of tourists and government employees stopped whatever they were doing to clap for and thank our valley veterans. Considering that the fact that their valiant efforts are the one that secured our freedom as a country, it was an appropriate reception.

On this 16th flight, the 66 veterans were from nine different counties and their ages ranged from 66 to 97. 22 of these were WWII veterans, who were celebrated at the WWII Memorial for the 73rd anniversary of VEday along with other WWII veterans from other flights. A few hundred people attended the ceremony to be amongst true American heroes and thank them for their service.

Patriotism was in abundance on this trip and it ranged from the students and tourists that welcomed the veterans to the crew made up of volunteers. The CVHF crew worked hard to create a life-changing trip for these veterans that included impressive tours of war memorials, meetings with Congressmen and guest speakers, and special programs. It was a treat for all who had the privilege to be there. From the staff, the flight crew, the airport greeters, the bus drivers, the police escorts, and many more, they do all that they can to treat these special visitors like royalty. Many of these ‘crew’ members have been serving the Honor Flights across the country for years, usually supporting 150 flights a year. One of the flight’s long time helpers, Bill Goodreau summed it up, “You are faithful to America and in return the Honor Flight will stay faithful to you.” CVHR leader, Al Perry, made sure that all felt included, despite their experiences in their time of services, “We honor you whether you were in combat or not. You are honored no matter how you served but because you served.”

The veterans experience ranged from serving in the the Battle of the Bulge, to building the Burma Road in China, and to being interned as a Japanese and then joining MIS. It was an honor to be amongst the WWII veterans and extremely touching to be with the Korea and Vietnam veterans as they were honored and welcomed over the course of the trip.

Local businessman, John Bankson, who served in the Korean War was there with his guardian, John Sundgren, Chairman of the Castle Air Museum Foundation. Bankson served in Korea by patrolling the front lines, as well as educating the men in that area about survival and life skills, specifically teaching them about communism and democracy. “A lot of them didn’t know the difference between the two and it was important to understand both sides of the fight.” Ernest (Ernie) Conner, prior Merced resident (now Turlock), was there with his patriotic daughter, Christine Conner Vieira. Other Merced County veterans on the flight were Dick Bell and Al Ramos who both served in the Air Force during Vietnam. Chic Brooks of Fresno served in the Merchant Marines during WWII whose ship was sunk by a kamikaze attack. After an hour of wading in water, he was rescued. Chic has owned and operated many restaurants in the valley such as Country Waffles, Happy Steak, and Perko’s. Joseph Matsuo of Fresno was displaced from his home by executive order 9066 and once he graduated high school, he became an interpreter with other Japanese-Americans in MIS. At one point in the war, he oversaw prisoners that we had captured. He sent a letter to the parents of one of the prisoners letting them know that their child would be returning home safely at the end of the war.

Vietnam veterans, who received the worst homecoming of all had a moving experience at their memorial. The veterans, including many guardians who also served in Vietnam, gathered together in front of the memorial wall to join in a ‘hoo-rah’ yell led group leaders, Ken Kemmerer and Goodreau, who both served themselves. The yell bounced off of the wall and echoed across the memorial and back out to veterans in a moment that gave us chills. Goodreau captured the moment perfectly when he said, “the men and women on the wall heard it and are echoing back to you.” This was a real tearjerker for the men who lost close friends and family alongside of them in Vietnam. Men searched for their brethren on the wall and while some were successful in seeing loved ones names, others did not. To those that could not find the names, the flight staff assured them they would find them on the next trip and send them a picture, proving that they always go above and beyond to serve their veterans. Men found some closure in this experience. Vietnam vet, Steven Loya, said “I’m healing, this brought closure. I found my brother, my friend, who was my best friend in high school and it was a miracle that I found him.” Rudy Molina, fellow Vietnam veteran, agreed that “this brought some closure, some peace.”

Each flight costs approximately $200,000 and is supported entirely by donations. Ernie Conner says, “It an extremely moving thing that people think enough about veterans to pay the way for many who couldn’t afford this on their own. There’s been a sea change of attitude that began after Desert Storm where people are starting to revisit history. I think many people realized they made a mistake when we were coming home from Vietnam and it’s refreshing to have so many young people come up and thank you for your service. This trip gave many drafted men the opportunity to gain closure and be honored. It means more to us veterans than one could ever know.”

Finally, this trip stood as a symbol for peace and unity. Fitzalbert Marius, who served in WWII was originally placed in Army specialized training until a misunderstanding about his race placed him in the 725th Medical Sanitary Company, which was a segregated unit with some of the toughest jobs. “As far as this trip is concerned, my main priority is that America will have an opportunity to see, particularly younger people, the importance of showing unity, and that veterans represent America, that the basic fundamental principles that this country was founded on shows that we should all be working together as one in the face of dealing with all of these superficial things, and recognize that we’re all one people for the purpose of being productive together for our communities. If we do that, all the other stuff will go down the drain.”

This trip is a once in a lifetime opportunity for those veterans that need peace and closure, or for those that want to serve and give back. Not all can be veterans, but all can be patriots.
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Overview of the schedule

• Monday: Departure from Fresno and arrival at Baltimore with a motorcade to the local American Legion Post for dinner where veterans were greeted with lipstick kisses by volunteers.
• Tuesday: Visit to Iwo Jima Memorial, WWII Ceremony, Lunch with the Valley Congressmen, visit to the Korean Memorial, “USO” like banquet dinner with WWII dance performance, singers (veterans themselves), and poems were read.
• Wednesday: Trip to Arlington for a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, visit to the Vietnam memorial and then the Air Force Memorial. Plane ride home with a “Mail Call” similar to what the vets experienced in service, a visit from “Kilroy” who passed out candy, and a warm welcome home at the Fresno airport.

To learn more about the CVHF or to donate to the flight, please visit http://cvhonorflight.org/. The next flight is in October and fundraising is happening now.

If you listen to most media, it seems that most Americans perceive Silicon Valley as the home of California’s most technological residents, with Silicon Beach in Santa Monica following closely. What most people, including Californians, haven’t heard of yet is Silicon Farm. That’s largely because a company in Merced called MARCOM just recently coined the phrase. 

Silicon Farm, while just a budding Silicon “empire”, is the output of what UC Merced promises to bring to the community. The hope of the new UC was that with the campus and an influx of young people, that they would have a place to stay, work, and spend their dollars in the community. The idea of Silicon Farm and desire to house equally as brilliant residents as Silicon Valley came to be when MARCOM was created. 

MARCOM is a digital agency and an investment firm that builds up and trains a new generation of entrepreneurs. The aim is that those who work with MARCOM will become community leaders and positively transform cities, organizations, and other individuals through the power of social tools. They seek to modernize the toolset of an organization to “overcome the challenges of technological disruption and a rapidly changing future.” In short, they want to equip our community with talented workers who are used to rapidly changing technology and who know how to drive change in any industry. 

MARCOM was born out of the Blum Center for Developing Economies at UC Merced where Daniel Sabzehzar, Central Valley native, CEO and Founding Partner of MARCOM Group, was the former Director of Marketing. Along with Daniel, MARCOM was founded by Christopher Bernal, a fellow UC Merced graduate, and Sara Sabzehzar, who is also their Senior Brand Strategist. Daniel and Christopher initially came together to build the first Men’s Volleyball team at UC Merced and they both studied Public Health while at school. The majority of their leadership skills were built and finessed on the court. Now they’re leading a group of Junior Partners and roughly one hundred student interns, fellows, and part-time staff, most of whom also graduated from UC Merced. This powerhouse team works to support their clients throughout the Merced area and beyond. Their most notable clients are Bowles Farming and Livingston Health Group.

CFO of MARCOM, Christopher Bernal, is inspired by the students and members of the community who want to do good together. Independently, he sees students and residents doing great things, but knows that magic happens in a community when they come together. It’s why he started the Marketing Club at UC Merced as a student because he wanted to see “more of my fellow students become connected to local businesses, to help the students be more prepared for the workforce when they graduate, and to see them have opportunities to stay in Merced. When you know what’s going on in your community, you feel like you’re a part of it and take ownership. Most students don't know what they’re going to do when they walk across the [graduation] stage. The goal of the club was to set up a plan for them to stay in Merced and to have some sort of job or mentorship.”

The connection point between MARCOM and the Marketing Club is powerful. The two organizations work together to help local businesses and nonprofits to build up an impactful online presence to drive their missions forward. In a world where this is now essential to be successful in the long-run, it’s incredible that UC Merced students and alumni come together to make a stronger Merced. With clients like Little Oven Pizza, United Way, Chamber of Commerce, Farmers Market, and Eastwind Dojo (just to name a few), these students are integrated into influential organizations that are doing great work in the community. 

What’s most exciting about these two young leaders is their commitment to and belief in Merced. Chris says, “No matter what you want to do in life, Merced provides the opportunity to learn and to figure out what your next step will be. People coming to Merced or that are already here can be a part of building a city; It’s a place where we all have the ability to make an impact and the opportunity to do it fast.” Daniel believes that “Merced has access to the world's greatest resources coupled with people that are relatable. The growth this area will see will be transformative and globally competitive. The game is who sees it first.” The value they see in this area is inspiring and should be motivating to those considering this area to live, work, go to school, or build a company.

MARCOM not only benefits the organizations it supports but also the community by providing students with an opportunity to stay in Merced upon graduation. Equally as important, the company gives students and alumni the platform to building impactful relationships with the members of the community outside of the UC. We can all agree the best college towns are the ones where students and alumni are actively involved in community work and are frequently visiting local restaurants, bars, and shops. Those are the towns and colleges that young kids seek to spend the college years. I have a feeling that with MARCOM’s influence and the very involved community that we have, we’ll see Merced continue to rise as an “it” college destination in California. 

With young, passionate people like Daniel and Christopher leading the charge to bring technology and opportunities to our community, it’s easy to get excited about the future. It’s a good reminder to everyone that individuals are ones that make the difference, especially at a local level. As a challenge to our readers, I want to leave you with a question: We can wait for change to come or we can make it happen ourselves. How will you make a positive impact in our community this year? Merced is a fertile environment for new businesses (with its relatively low cost of living and quality graduate population) and is a greenfield for innovative ideas. Let’s make a commitment to help tend to this new Silicon Farm’s growth and encourage this new breed of Merced County leaders.   ​

If you’re a proud Merced County local, it’s hard to find a sentiment that resonates louder than this: “A few years ago, I started noticing a lot of people in town saying, ‘where should we go?’ and ‘what should we do?’ and they were leaving town for fun. Instead of leaving Merced for fun, keep your money and our revenue in our own town. The way that can happen is by creating events to have our community come together locally. That's the reason why I created Tsunami Collaborations.”

Those feelings, shared by many proud Merced residents, were said by Sue Bangon Emanivong, the owner of Tsunami Collaborations, a member of the Valley’s Laotian community, and one of Merced’s hardest working residents. That’s the fuel behind Sue’s involvement in community events. Like many of us, she grew tired of hearing that Mercedians were going to take their money out of town to enjoy meals, festivals, or other events, when she knew there was opportunity for Merced to have those same experiences. That’s how Tsunami Collaboration was born. Sue’s young and consistently busy business, exists to give people a reason to stay and enjoy their own communities in Merced County.

She’s been a rising star in the Merced for almost two years by working events for the community, but by no means is she a newcomer - she’s proud to be born and raised here in the Central Valley. If you’re one of the few who have not met Sue personally (she’s the one who keeps a smile on her face, welcomes all, and laughs large while she’s planning and executing an event), it’s likely that you’ve experienced her work as she is behind the summer Street Faire, Red Nose Day, Kid’s Day, Merced’s Feast, and countless other events; many of which are done in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, United Way, Merced Main Street Association, and many others.

If there’s something that’s just as important to Sue as uplifting Merced through community events, it’s that she does it with her team and not on her own. In fact, that’s the intent behind the name of Tsunami Collaborations. The “collaborations” part of her business is just as fundamental to her mission as bringing the community together.  Her team volunteers their time and effort alongside Sue. Any conversation with Sue quickly leads to her giving credit to her team and it’s well-deserved. Her team consists of her family, their friends, her friends, a crew from the Rescue Mission. They do everything from prepping-making-serving food, to setting up and cleaning up each event, to organizing donation drives for youth, and so much more.

While Sue has been tirelessly supporting Merced in the last two years, she’s been putting that same heart and soul into supporting her Laotian family her entire adult-life. As a first generation Laotian whose parents came to America in the 80’s from a refugee camp, she has immense pride and passion for her Laotian family.

Sue credits watching and learning from her parents as the reason she can coordinate a community and plan events, as she has no formal training in this area. “A lot of it I learned from my mom. A Laotian wedding, a death, a blessing; these are big events and I learned how to help from doing those events from my mom. Organization, coordinating, watching what my mom did for the Laos community.” Not only can our community be grateful to Sue’s mom for training her up, those that attended the FEAST this last September can be thankful for the delicious Ka Poon (a soup) as the first course.

With no formal training, one has to ask how Sue got into this line of work. It happened when she was in a life transition – in between jobs and in between moving from Modesto to Merced. “When I was at home during my transition, I didn’t feel like I was doing what I needed to do. I was home too much, so I asked myself, what’s the purpose? And I realized that my purpose was to positively influence people's lives; that it was time to get out and help people.” That’s why her work is always geared towards the greater community or youth. She’s guided strongly by a few principles:

•    90% of her work is done pro bono. However, her goal is to become profitable so that she can give back to her volunteers and to pay for several out-of-pocket expenses.
•    She only works on events that support the Merced community
•    Her focus within the community is on our youth

Her most important rule of thumb? “If I’m doing something that’s raising money, it’s got to have a purpose. It has to go towards something with meaning.”

People like Sue build up our community and make it a safe, fun, and engaging place to live, work, and play. Her work is an example of the reason why Community Organizers are so important to our homes, neighborhoods, and towns; they prove that just one person can make a positive impact and make their homes a better place. Merced is  fortunate to have many involved citizens that spend their time and resources to make our town a special town.  Considering Sue’s impact to the greater Merced community has been so significant in just two years, it will be exciting to watch her contributions grow over time, and to see who she inspires along the way. Thank you to Sue and her team for all that you do for our community!​